DISCONTINUED: Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch
by CuHnadian
Summary: Our lives have gone from C-Sec agents on Mass Effect's Citadel to vigilantes taking the law into our own hands, hopefully. Self inserts, guns, explosions, thieves, cops and...a Lamborghini? - Sequel to Mass Affect. A Dramedy series with a bit of romance too. Pre-ME1. Contains Violence and Strong Language. You've been warned.
1. Chapter 1 : Opening

**Full Authors Note At Bottom : Reading the first story is not required but it will help you know some of the characters better. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything from Bioware/Mass Effect or any other licensed properties mentioned. If I did, ME3 wouldn't have the ending that it has and I wouldn't be writing Fanfiction.**

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><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 1 : Opening**

**March 16th, 2183**

**9:00 AM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6 **

"Good morning, Alcatraz," said Captain Anderson, taking a seat in front of me.

"Morning," I replied. He raised his eyebrows at my friendly tone. I wouldn't expect a six foot tall human wearing an armored suit and helmet to be nice either.

"Your reputation precedes you."

"And what reputation would that be?"

"That you're full of surprises. Not a typical outlaw."

"Funny, I didn't know there was such a thing."

The inscrutable Alliance Captain put a datapad on the table.

"Do you know why you're here, Alcatraz?"

I nodded.

"Then you know that you're here to make a deal."

"Depends on if I think it's fair. What is it?"

"Spectres can make their own rules and bring whoever they want. However, you have a...history with the community on the Citadel."

_I guess that's one way of putting it._

"So here is what the Council has offered. They've agreed to let you join our cause. In exchange however, you must tell us everything that has happened since you started, from your perspective. All you have to do is..."

I grabbed the datapad and entered my alias. I looked up to his eyebrows raised again.

"I'm sorry, you were going to ask me to sign that right?" I asked feigning innocence.

The Captain was quiet for a second before setting his arms on the table. "Well, yes. So, let's start with the basics. Who are you?"

I knew there was no point trying to hide it anymore. Even if their weren't cameras in the room, there would be about a hundred more on my way out. I lifted my helmet and put on the table.

"My name is Lucas Raycevich. I'm 20 years old, born on Earth. I arrived on the Citadel with several of my friends two years ago. I was a Detective for Citadel Security until March 15th of last year. That was when my friends and I resigned to become who we are now."

"Why did you leave C-Sec?"

I made myself comfortable, leaning back in my chair before starting. "I got fed up with all of the bureaucratic crap. On my last case, hundreds of people - one of them being the Executor's daughter - would have died if I hadn't taken matters into my own hands when I made a temporary alliance with well...the Alliance or rather, you. After that case I pitched the idea to my friends and we quit the day after."

"Did your friends think it was...ambitious?"

"Ambitious?" I chuckled. "They were looking at me like I'd chewed off my own face. But, they eventually on board."

"I see. So when did you start The Wild Bunch?"

_Here we go, no backing out now. _"It was almost exactly a year ago. A few days after I left Pallin's office."

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><p><strong>Almost Exactly A Year Ago<strong>

All seven of us, including Lia'Vael were standing in the new apartment, next door to my friends and I. We checked to make sure the place was big enough and had enough space for the new shuttle we had bought.

"It should make a good Armory," said Terran as he walked around.

"Isn't that what you would call something like this on a ship?" Lia asked next to him.

Terran looked at me, his eyes saying "Help!". I mouthed "Make something up" back to him.

"Uh, yeah. My dad, used to be on ships a lot and I just got used to him saying that," he said carefully.

Lia seemed to have a questioning look in her eyes (I would say face but well...she's a Quarian), thankfully she decided let it go. Terran and Lia had gotten very close overtime and gave up trying to identify themselves as "Friends" once Lia moved into his apartment. Nobody would ever admit it but the two seemed happy with each other and it was nice to have someone that wasn't a foul mouthed teen walking around the place. The only thing that ever made Terran nervous about their relationship was when I reminded him that she was a young Quarian on her pilgrimage, and that she was going to have to return to the Migrant fleet at some point. But Terran would just calmly say they'd make it work somehow, no matter how long he'd have to wait.

I'm by _no_ means a romance expert but I think that shows how much a person can care for another. However, having her around caused another problem in that she noticed our oddities. I'm the kind of guy that prefers to just admit things and get them out of the way but I couldn't really just go up to her and say "Hey, we're from a world where this world is a video game". We all knew she was going to put the pieces together eventually but decided to cross that bridge when we came to it.

"So, we've got everything we need ordered?" I asked Terran.

"Yep, and I bought them all from different manufacturers so that we don't get tracked as easily."

"And our financial records?"

"Already altered. If C-Sec ever suspects us, they won't have any proof."

I grinned "Perfect."

"So when do we get started?" asked Shea.

"Well, we still have to put everything together once the supplies gets here and we have to figure out some way of getting the armor and suits customized without leaving any kind of record. But we should be able to get started in about a week," I predicted. Bjorn, Paul, Josh, Shea, Terran and Phil all nodded in agreement. "Just remember guys, this is not the opening of some story of badassery. This is real life. So no heroics, no impossible stunts and please no friendly fire."

"Aww!" half of them said in unison.

That got a chuckle out of the rest of us before scattering off. I looked outside the window._  
><em>

"This is gonna be awesome!" said Shea.

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><p><strong>Present<strong>

"Yeah...awesome. We had no idea what we were getting into."_  
><em>

"How did your first operations go?"

"Not...brilliantly," I said, embarrassed.

"How so?"

"Well, have you ever heard of a squad throwing a..."

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><p><strong>11 Months Ago<strong>

Inside, Bjorn took point with his silenced shotgun. The two of us stopped once we had eyes on the target, the art piece displayed in the big room. Bjorn was about to move up when I stopped him.

"Wait, use a flash to stun anyone inside."

"Right, good idea."

Bjorn popped out a grenade and tossed it in. We took cover behind a wall as not to get stunned or dazed. Suddenly my ears rang. I was shaken to the ground, landing on my back. Peeking around the corner I saw the room's white lighting and floor panels replaced by fire and destroyed walls. I looked at Bjorn who had the same look.

"I, I, I actually thought, that was a...flashbang."

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><p><strong>Present<strong>

"Then there was the time one of our suspects got away."

"Well, you can't expect to get them all. Especially when you were just starting," said Anderson, trying to be sympathetic.

"He got away because Paul parked in a handicap spot and the shuttle got towed. We had to leave our suspect behind so we could take the shuttle back before it was crushed."

There was an awkward silence before I continued again.

"Oh! Then there was our first interrogation."

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><p><strong>11 Months Ago, again<strong>

Josh and I had our little Turian bastard sitting behind a table, a good fifteen feet away so he couldn't try anything funny.

"Why don't you just save us the time and tell us where the shipments are?" I asked, bored.

"Why don't you two just fuck off and leave me in peace."

"We will, once you tell us where the shipments are."

He laughed and took the cup on the desk. "Please, you think you dumb kids can just come along and boss your way around people." He took a big gulp of the drink. "I was in the Relay 314 incident when you humans had nothing and beat up or killed anyone you saw. So what ever you..." He trailed off, starting to cough. We waited but his coughing only grew worse until he was leaning over the table with some foam forming around his mouth.

"Uh, Pip, we might have a problem," I called out. Phil or Pip Boy as we called him on missions walked into the room and got out his medical equipment.

"What the fuck did you give him?" I asked Josh.

"Just some juice we had in the fridge."

I walked out of the room and over to the fridge. I spotted the orange juice and pulled it out to see it's contents, right on the front in big text I saw the problem. I walked back and put the juice in front of Josh with my finger over the text that said "Levo-Amino".

"What?" he asked.

"Turians have Dextro-Amino acids. If they drink or eat too much of this shit, they die."

Josh's uncovered eyes looked left and right before he stated, "Oh." Before I took the juice and smacked him several times with the container.

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><p><strong>Present<strong>

"So it was unsuccessful then?" asked Anderson.

"No, actually. Once Phil got him recovered he told us everything, said he hadn't gone through anything that painful since the First Contact War. But I don't qualify an operation a success when you get information out of a suspect by accident."

"So, how about we just skip to your first successful op? When was that?"

"About ten months ago. When I said we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, our first real operation was what I meant."

"And why is that?"

"Cause it was completely fucked," I chuckled humorlessly.

**Now Playing : Craig Armstrong - Opening**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Here we go. Now I'm really excited about starting this story because a lot of the idea's I had for MA actually started with this story. But since I couldn't figure out a way to make it work at the start I decided to save them for the sequel. I've got most of the plot already planned out and I'm writing chapter four as of now. So expect more frequent updates in the future and hopefully a better story all around. <strong>**Now as always, PEACE.**


	2. Chapter 2 : Loose Fit

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 2 : Loose Fit**

**May 10th, 2182**

**10:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**Commons Cafe, Zakera Ward**

"So how has it been back at C-Sec?" I asked Ian.

Despite quitting police work, I still hosted our little hangouts, along with most of our pals from C-Sec.

"It's been alright actually. Just had to get used to Garrus' stack of Tupari on his desk after getting shot," he said, annoyed.

"What? I told you it's just to keep me going when I'm tired!" Garrus protested.

"I always wondered why Ian's desk was the one full of datapads," I smirked.

"It's the truth!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that lover boy," Ian countered.

"Lover boy?" I asked.

"Dr. Michel gave him some Turian chocolate a few days ago."

Garrus tried to play it like it was nothing, failing in the process. "She said that she saw it and thought of me. What?"

"Oh, nothing," I shrugged with smile. "So how's your most recent case going?" Officially I was trying to change the subject. Unofficially I was trying to get some Intel about a recent string of murders.

"Not well. I mean, we have one suspect, some Salarian scientist named Dr. Stayley, but we don't have enough evidence to support that he had anything to do with the murders," said Ian.

"We were trying to get a search warrant for one of his buildings but he must have friends in high places 'cause the Executor ground our case to a halt," said Garrus before he got a beep on his Omni-tool. He looked at the screen and sighed. "Speaking of which, we should probably head back."

"Before he finds someone else to shout at," muttered Ian. "See you later Lucas!" he called out.

"Good luck!" I called back. When they were out of sight I got out my Omni-tool and called up Terran.

"Yeah?" He said.

"I think I've got something."

* * *

><p>"Dr. Sig Stayley," announced Terran in front of his terminal back at our "Base".<p>

"Apparently, Salarian scientists have many rules and Stayley broke most of them. He was kicked out of the official programs and has changed his alias so many times no one even knows his real name."

"Do you know where we can find him?" I asked.

"He's got a couple of offices but they're all just cover ups. His real lair is the one that's taking C-Sec forever to get a search warrant. But of course, we don't have to deal with that crap," Terran smirked, spinning his chair to face the computer terminal. "It's in the 200 blocks in Zakera Ward. We can get there before C-Sec ever has permission."

I nodded and walked over to get Paul, our sarcastic, laid back pilot. Naturally we gave him the alias of "Wash".

* * *

><p>We had to be fast and quiet for this mission so the team was Bjorn (Archer), Josh (Kestrel) and myself (Alcatraz). Since Josh and Bjorn were more suited to close range encounters I pitched the two names - Bjorn and I had played a <em>lot<em> of Splinter Cell Conviction - and they seemed to like it. Our original plan was to customize our armor so that we didn't look like typical mercenaries but that was harder than we were expecting. I wanted my armor to sort of look like a Spartan but I wasn't that good at assemblage back home, let alone constructing a suit of combat armor. So for now we colored our suits and used tinted helmets or recon hoods. Though everybody stopped using the latter when Phil said they looked like gimp masks.

"Alright, we're here," said Paul, carefully setting down the shuttle in the back lot of Stayley's main building. I looked to Terran (Trojan) who was in the back of the vehicle.

"You've got everything set up?"

"Yep, video and audio feeds are ready to go, I can see and hear everything all of you do. The security of the building is a little more advanced than usual but nothing I can't handle," he grinned.

"You guys ready to go?" I said to Josh and Bjorn. The former nodded while the latter cocked his silenced shotgun, coupled with an over the top Hollywood "I'm a badass" face. A long silence fell over the shuttle.

"Too much?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I said before opening the door and stepping outside. The others followed and we stood upon the Dr.'s base of grey walls and small windows.

"Speaking of which, why do all evil doctor lairs have to be exactly the fucking same?" asked Josh.

"Nobody ever said they had to be original," I pointed out before walking up and hitting the green hologram on the door, causing it to open. Who ever worked here was definitely gone by now. I had my modified M-8 Avenger ready to go as we scanned the place, walking at a snail's pace, checking all of the empty hallways.

"I am not liking this." I said.

"Get in line," replied Josh.

On the left I spotted a small staircase. There were three floors in the building. "I'll take this floor, you and Archer take two and three."

"You got it."

Bjorn nodded and followed Josh up the stairs, disappearing from my sight.

I continued down one of the dimly lit hallways, still grey all around like it was owned by the Emperor of boring. One of the doors in the hallway wasn't see-through like the others, immediately grabbing my attention. I stepped inside to see another closed door with what looked to be a decontamination chamber.

"I am really not liking this."

Just then I felt pain shoot through my entire body, teeth rattled to the point of being shattered until the pain stopped and I was on the floor, unable to move. I tried to speak into my helmet's communicator but I couldn't.

"Alcatraz?" asked Terran on the other line. "Alcatraz!"

Two arms grabbed me off the floor.

"Fuck!"

That was the last thing I heard on the comm channel before I blacked out.

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><p>I woke up to see another dull, grey ceiling. <em>Okay, this is starting to really get to me now.<em> I blinked several times, adjusting to the light. I sat up, finding my helmet and armor still intact.

"Trojan, you there?" I whispered into my communicator. No answer came. "Archer? Kestrel?"

"Your communications channel has been cut off. I apologize for the inconvenience."

I jumped at the voice coming through the loud speakers. The voice spoke quickly, higher pitched than a human. "Dr. Stayley, I presume?"

"That's who I am but I'm wondering just who you might be."

"Name's Alcatraz."

"The old human prison? Island in the North American States?"

"You really know your shit," I said, genuinely surprised by his knowledge of human history.

"That's not the way I would put it but yes. It comes with being a Salarian scientist. I was top of my class in alien history as well as many other subjects, until I got thrown out for my...methods. That name fits your situation however. You are underground Alcatraz. Isolated from the rest of the world." I could practically feel the cheesiness through the loud speaker with his tone of voice. "It's my little lair, and the home of my associate."

"Associate?" I echoed.

"Yes. You see, I didn't just murder all of those talentless hacks for fun. I was one day flying around in one of my ships when I picked up some strange anomaly's on a near by planet. Being the scientist I am, I went to investigate and discovered a critically injured Rachni soldier. With such a discovery I fixed him up and took him back with me. This is his home."

My eyes widened with one thought in my head. _You have got to be shitting me!_

"Now, despite all of my research I still haven't nailed down his sleeping schedule. So he could come after you anytime now. Oh, I should also mention that those enhancements I had to kill my way through to acquire have been given to my little friend. So, don't expect your funny looking gun to slow him down."

I sprinted around the room, trying to locate some exit or flaw in the confined space. There wasn't one.

"Goodbye Alcatraz. Whoever you are."

Right then I heard the distinct screeching of a supposedly extinct alien race. The room was still empty but I could hear his "feet" ticking on the other side. I cocked my assault rifle and moved forward.

"Okay, you wanna go? Let's go!" I said with temporary bravery. Emphasis on the temporary. I came upon the sight of the alien, all of it's tentacles ready to spit burning acid at me.

"Oh fuck this!" I ran back into one of the hallways that just led to hallway after hallway after hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>(Bjorn)<strong>

"You've still got no feed on him?" asked Josh over the comm channel. The other two floors had been empty and we rendezvoused at the stairs.

"No, everything just went dark. His last location was a room in one of the hallways past the lobby. I'm marking the location on your HUD right now," replied Terran.

My display showed an arrow pointing downstairs. We followed it, heading down multiple corridors until we came upon a room with what looked like a decon chamber. I saw little red paint marks on the floor, the same color as Lucas' armor.

"He was here but the door's locked," I said.

"I just saw a control centre on the other side of the floor on the security cams. Our bastard doctor is in there too." Terran said.

We navigated our way to the new destination, not caring about noise since it was clear that there was only four of us - If Lucas was alive - in the building. _And I just realized how calmly I thought that. Probably not a good thing. _We carefully entered the new space to find the Salarian behind his desk with a stupid smirk on his face as he stared at the holo-screens.

I nodded to Josh saying "He's mine". Moving slowly behind him, I grabbed his neck with my right arm and covered his mouth with my left. He squirmed but couldn't get out of my grip. Soon he was just a stump on the floor.

Josh took control of the desk and found security footage of a space I didn't recognize. I assumed it was whatever was on the other side of door near Lucas' last known location. It was confirmed when a red armored human appeared spraying an assault rifle. _Probably also swearing profusely. _I was about to call up Terran when I then saw another being on the tape, the oddity being it had four bug-like legs and long tentacles. I put two fingers to my comm unit.

"Uh, Wash."

"Yeah?" asked Paul.

"You said that you had Shea leave some explosives in the shuttle right?

"Sure, why?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I was crouched with my back against the wall, intently listening for the shit-your-pants scary Rachni that I was still running from.

"Alcatraz?" a new voice said over the loudspeaker.

I jumped, hairs standing straight on my skin, only to settle back down again when I figured out who it was. "Kestrel?"

"Yeah, it's me. Look I don't have time to explain but we found the doctor and opened the entrance door. You just need to head back."

"Which way? This place is a damn maze!"

"Take a right."

I followed his directions an sprinted around the corner, coming face to face with the giant that made freeze wide eyed.

"Son of a bitch!" I dived to the ground avoiding one of the acid shots by a hair. I grunted in pain but quickly got back up with my adrenaline pumping.

"I meant my right! Sorry!" said Josh over the speaker.

"You do that again and I'll fucking feed you to this thing!"

As the Rachni scampered it's way to me, I took a left and found myself standing in front of the door I had seen earlier. I slammed the now green hologram with my fist and ran out of the loathsome room.

"Where are you guys?" I shouted as sprinted through the corridor.

"We'll meet you outside the building's entrance, just keep running!"

I complied with no complaints and got to the door, thankful for the Citadel's uplifting sights as Stayley's headquarters was really getting to me. I turned around, raising my weapon, waiting for the bastard insect to come back for me but my two friends came out instead. Not that I was disappointed. I caught a glimpse of the Salarian madman running to the closing door like Forrest Gump. He failed to run outside before the doors shut, I heard him pounding his fists against the thick steel.

"No! No! No! You can't just leave me here! I normally keep the soldier locked in that room! Let me out!"

His protest rang hollow as Josh spoke. "We've got explosives from the shuttle placed inside. We can blow this place sky high and be out of here before C-Sec traces our dust."

"What about civilians?" I asked.

"None nearby and we made sure to keep the explosion as contained as possible."

"Please! Don't leave me here!" yelled the doctor.

"You've killed dozens for reasons as low as that fucking lair of yours, you're not getting any sympathy from me!" I yelled.

"No, please!"

"The Wild Bunch sends their regards. Have a nice death you crazy fuck!"

We made our way to the shuttle. It's doors opened and we hopped on, slamming it shut.

"Punch it."

Paul lifted the shuttle up. I double checked for civilians but there weren't any. I gave a nod to Bjorn who held the detonator in his hands. He pressed it's big red button. We felt the shock wave but the building's explosion was contained just like Josh said. With only a few panels and the glass shattered. I removed my helmet. I was drenched in sweat as I ran both hands over my face. Still satisfied with the result, along with everybody else.

_Now we're getting somewhere._

**Now Playing : Happy Mondays - Loose Fit (Perfecto Mix)**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Damn guys, 400 hits in one day? 100 already for MA2? A third of MA1's reviews on here? Okay yes that's not much, but for me? JEZUS! But really, in all seriousness, I'm glad you guys really liked the first chapter. After reading MA1 again, I wanted to make sure that MA2 had a better opening. Also, thanks for the reviews and keep em coming. Not only does it give me an ego boost - sorry, I can't help it! - but it also helps with my writing. Before the reviews I never considered some people being worried that we would become spectres, but going back I can see why people got the idea. Don't worry though, it's not going to happen and as far as I know it never will. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3 : What It Look Like

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 3 : What It Look Like**

**March 16th, 2183**

**9:20 AM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6**

"Did you ever see the doctor after the explosion?" asked Anderson.

"No. We just got out of the area and assumed there was no way he could have survived. The operation might have been a success but that beginner's mistake bit us in the ass down the road."

Now I never assumed anything. Whether it was a dead scientist or if I had my credit chit on me. The Alliance Captain nodded and tapped his datapad a few times.

"You said there were seven of you, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, key word being 'were'."

"So when did you start getting other people to join your team?"

"Initially we weren't going to hire at all. Anyone that knew our identities besides Lia was going to be a problem, especially since a lot of our friends were cops. So it was just us for about a month after the Sig Stayley case."

"According to the reports things had changed in that time, correct?"

"You could say that. By then we had everything we needed; weapons, tech, armor, aliases, you name it we had it. We were starting to build a bit of a reputation but it was mostly due to when the cops found out it was us that blew up Dr. Stayley's lab. Everything else we did was pretty small time compared to that."

"So how did you get the attention you got if you were only doing small operations?"

"Our squad had found out about this place on Tayseri Ward, a few blocks away from the Ward's center. It was called the Deviant Arena." _Kind of like if Laser tag and Paint-ball made a baby that was thrown 170 years in the future._ "It had the dark neon and music, like Purgatory except mixed with Concussion round combat."

"How did it work?"

"The place was huge with a big arena in the middle that could be configured with different wall placements and bases. You could bring any set of armor or any weapon but they would make sure that your gun was set to fire concussion rounds. They would take out your shields and when you got hit it did hurt. It would also knock you to the ground. When you fell you would be locked there by a Biotic stasis module until the match was over. It quickly became our main hangout. We could practice combat that was a lot more dynamic and true to the life than training against security mechs."

"And I assume that was where word got across the station."

"We quickly became one of the dominate teams, constantly challenged by people who said they were top rank mercs but most of them were full of shit. The place also took bets and we quickly learned how to exploit it." Exploit as in raping people's wallets.

"How so?"

"The main arena was big but it could only contain eight people, tops. The matches were four on four. So we would make a team to go in and the three of us that were outside would stay behind and place bets on the four in the arena."

"Did you ever get into trouble for that?"

"By the rules of the system, no. Placing bets was allowed. There was nothing that said we weren't able to bet on our own team." _Like the Varren fights on Tuchunka._ "Now did we get into trouble? Oh hell yes. People would always try to shake us down."

"And what did you do with them?"

"We just called them on their bullshit. Most of them were just using their big mouths and we sent ones that used anything more to the hospital. Told them that if they tried something like that again we would send them to the lord instead." _Not that they ever knew I was an atheist._

"So when did you meet your first recruit?"

_Ah, that time. _"It was a few weeks after we discovered the Arena. We were about to do a few more rounds but things got...weird."

* * *

><p><strong>July 8th, 2182<strong>

**8:44 PM, Citadel Time**

**Deviant Arena, Tayseri Ward**

Josh, Shea and Terran were bagged from yesterday's mission so it was Phil, Bjorn, Paul and myself at the arena, circling on of the smaller stages, laughing at an Elcor with a chain gun on his back winning his sixth match in a row, 1v4. I collected my pay of another 1000 credits - giving ten of them to the DJ to play some Chemical Brothers - and decided to see who we were about to take away from the main spotlight. I looked ahead and saw a couple of Turians, an Asari and even a Drell in place. Not intimidated, we made our way to the entrance when I noticed a strangely familiar figure, dark hair, laid back hoodie and pants. He wouldn't have caught my attention if it didn't look exactly like...

"Shakiel?" I thought out loud. I could feel my friends looking at me like I was crazy.

"What?" asked Bjorn.

"What is Shakiel doing here?" my eyes dried from the lack of blinking. My friends looked at the man as well and said...

"What the fuck?" in unison.

Shakiel was a friend I met through Paul/Phil. While I stayed isolated in my home doing all my schooling online, Paul was going to West Van High. After that I met Phil and Shakiel which disproved my statement of "everybody at West Van High is a dick". Now I just said, "most of them" but I was still trying to wrap my head around how he was even here in the first place. The people that got transported here with me were all at my house and Shakiel hadn't made that. My mind raced back to when we encountered the person that brought us here. The scenario he put us through turned out to be complete bullshit, which meant he could have added Shakiel without any of us knowing. Regardless of how he got here, we were going to have to talk to him.

"How are we going to tell him it's us without giving ourselves away to everybody?" asked Paul.

"Couldn't we just call him?" asked Phil.

"No, we don't have Terran here to encrypt anything and we don't know his contact address. He might not even have one," said Bjorn.

There was more debate until I stepped ahead of all three of them.

"What are you doing?" asked Paul.

"I've got a plan."

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

"I've beaten the requirements for the small matches, so let me in!" I argued with the Turian guard.

"Doesn't change the fact you don't have the credits to get in. You need five thousand."

It was times like these I wish I hadn't left for the Citadel and gone after whoever the fuck attacked us. I opened my mouth to argue.

"Beat it kid. You don't have enough credits. End of story."

"There a problem here?" a new voice asked.

I turned around to see who this new voice belonged to and reeled back a bit. There was a group of four people, all human from what I could tell. One looked like a Splinter Cell, the other next to him was just as well equipped with a different suit and helmet, a third one with more guns and medical supplies and in the middle, a red and white armored human with a custom made suit, almost like a Spartan.

"No Alcatraz," the guard told to the man in the middle. _A Spartan named Alcatraz? _"Just some kid trying to get in without any cash."

"How much does he need?" asked the Spartan lookalike.

"Four and a half thousand. I'm not letting someone only pay five hundred credits to get in. Either he gets the money or gets a loan."

_Yeah, where the hell am I going to get a lo..._

"I will."

Everybody was looking at the red and white armored human, even his three teammates.

"You will what?" I asked.

"I'll loan you the money."

My eyes were darted left and right. "What?"

"Stop saying what. I just said, I'll loan you the money. Therefore you can enter the match."

Even though I had been trying to find every excuse to get in, I suddenly found myself trying to get out. I got an idea when I looked at my nearly busted M8 pistol.

"Well, I can't really enter with this thing so, yeah," I said, trying to mask my uneasiness.

The Spartan looked at me and threw one of his two pistols. I caught it out of reaction and found it was like an old fashion USP fit for humans rather than the industry standard's that are meant to fit all species hands.

"Now you can," he said dryly before turning to the guard. "Let him in Picard."

The Turian seemed hesitant but opened the gate to let me into the full Arena regardless. I glanced between the gate and the Spartan's group.

"Well? Go," the second guy said.

I slowly looked back and forth before slowly stepping into the gate and entering the pre-game lobby. I heard the door behind me shut. _What have I gotten myself into? _There were three other people making our team of four, one Turian, one Asari and lastly a Krogan, all staring at me. I tried not show fear but it was hopeless since the Krogan just chuckled. Looking away from him I made a last check on the pistol to see if there were any quirks. I found none, the weapon felt perfectly balanced in my hand. Then the room went dark and a hologram on top of the Arena door started to count down. The pistol was all I had so I got ready to run as soon as the door opened.

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go! _The Krogan and I charged forward the instant the doors opened while the Turian stayed back to snipe, the Asari was already out of sight. With the flash of a laser sight aimed at me, I made a quick leap to the left, taking cover behind a nearby wall. I heard gun fire close by before peeking around the corner to find the Krogan lying on the ground with a Barrier around him. _No wonder the bastard left Tuchunka. Any other Krogan could have done better than that with a knife stuck in their headplate. _I moved to the other side of the wall and checked to find a shotgun aimed directly at my face.

I ducked just in time for the shot to miss. I kicked my human opponent in the stomach, making him stagger back. I brought up my pistol at him and kept firing until the Barrier covered him on the ground. I felt some more rounds hit my shields and saw a Salarian about a hundred meters in front of me. I took cover and blind fired my pistol until the clip was empty. I replaced it, feeling the heat of the clip breeze past my hand. I leaped from the wall and ran down the corridor to find the Salarian gone. I heard a step behind me and turned around but it was too late. I felt the barrage of rounds hitting my shields and then myself, wincing and grinding my teeth as I got hit. _I seriously need to get some armor, those rounds fucking hurt! _

I was on the ground for thirty seconds until the barriers went down and the match was over. The lights on the floor guided us to the exit in the middle of the Arena. I saw the Salarian looking at me with a big smirk on his face. I was about to flip him off when I spotted the red Spartan at the corner of my eye. _Shit, shit, shit! _I moved right but his three companions blocked my path, the Spartan then stood in front of me with a datapad.

"The information you need is all there. Have a good day," he left along with the Splinter Cell guy but the other two stayed.

"Make sure you listen to the last piece of advice on that..." the first one started, gesturing to the datapad.

"Or you will get a little taste of these." The medic pulled out what looked like a Bowie knife. They walked off with maniacal laughter. I shook my head and read the datapad file.

_Come by the Ariake Technologies store in the Lower Wards of Zakera at 1:00 PM tomorrow sharp. Don't leave town._

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

We left with Paul and Phil laughing their asses off as we entered the shuttle. "You guys are total dicks," I said, not harshly but not leniently either.

"Oh come on! It was fun!" Paul protested, lifting the shuttle off the ground in the pilot's seat.

"So what are you going to do when he gets to our house? He's been gone for a long time," said Bjorn.

"Yeah, but he clearly picked up a few things. I don't remember him being able to dodge shotgun rounds like that," I said. "You know that extra armor set I made but didn't use because I already had this set?" I asked, Bjorn and Phil nodded. My helmet was off so they could tell by my face what I had in mind.

* * *

><p>It was another day on Zakera. Fake sunlight, artificial smells, various species in the same space. Everything was normal except for the fellow dimension travelling human. I was on the roof while Shakiel was on the ground looking for me. I would have dropped a little pebble or something but this was the Citadel. Finding a pebble was as likely as finding a clean space like this on Omega. So I detached the Laser Pointer from my Burst Rifle and aimed it at his cheap vest. He looked at it then saw me above. I pointed to the side of the building where there was a ladder and he put two and two together. I stood calmly as he got to the top. There was a long pause before he said anything.<p>

"Don't worry, I'll get your money back."

"Why are you acting like you have a choice?" I smirked.

He just sighed and looked at the ground.

"Come on, I've got some people I want you to meet."

He followed silently as I took the rooftop path back home. It was a short hike back until we were back where I started, over the roof of our apartment complex. I opened the entrance below my feet and let Shakiel enter. He dropped down to my apartment where all my friends were waiting. My feet echoed as I landed and turned to see the look on his face. It was like his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. He looked at me with his look of shock while I took my helmet off with as friendly a face I could make.

"Long time no see, Shakiel."

"Yeah, long time no see," he echoed. "W-why didn't you just tell me it was you guys at the Arena?"

"Who we are is not exactly public knowledge and we plan to keep it that way. Besides, would you have trusted someone looking like this," gesturing to my armor. "After not seeing any of us for over a year?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess you have a point."

"So, Shakiel those three are Terran, Josh and Shea. Three of my friends I never got to introduce you to and of course these three," I gestured to Bjorn, Paul and Phil. When he looked at the last two, he seemed to have a slightly...angry look on his face. _He must have put two and two together again. _He turned to me with a look saying "We're you behind this?"

"Don't look at me. Those two weren't part of the plan."

He stared at them and did something I can't say I saw coming. He took them by their heads and smacked them against each other like something out of a Three stooges episode. Paul and Phil immediately grasped their heads in pain.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for!" Phil shouted.

"Assholes!"

* * *

><p>After that little...disagreement we explained what happened to us when we arrived. It took a long time and Shakiel said he would tell his side of the story another time. At the moment he was more curious about our stuff. We entered the door to our spare apartment. With more money in our budget we were able to build an armory that had a whiff of Tron about it. The right side contained all of our weapons, stock and custom, the left took all of our armor sets and in the middle was our main shuttle, modified with folding out machine guns and armor. Shakiel had the same dumbfounded face as he had when he entered my apartment. I took the chance to remove the armor and store my Burst Rifle, Sniper and pistol to the side. Shakiel had offered to return my other one but I told him to hold onto it. I had something to replace it anyway. Shakiel kept walking around the space staring at everything. When he got to the armor section I called out.<p>

"The black and blue suit is yours."

He looked at the set in front of him. Fully equipped, flexible and a tinted visor coupled with top notch light armor.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at me.

"You're with us now. What you think I'm just going to let you roll around in that scavenger gear?" gesturing to his cheap vest and wrecked jeans. I walked away and let him to it.

"Welcome to The Wild Bunch, Rookie."

**Now Playing : Spank Rock - What It Look Like**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : I had this chapter written back when I posted chapter one, but my mother aka my beta reader was very sick for the past few days. Oh well, still got this out in less than a week. Any ways, Shakiel will be an interesting addition and I plan to explain his back story soon. So, as always, PEACE.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4 : Among Thieves

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 4 : Among Thieves**

**March 16th, 2183**

**9:40 AM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6**

"Shakiel's options were to become a duct rat or to join us and kick some ass. It was a no brainier," I shrugged.

"I presume that you trained him before he started going on missions?" asked Anderson

"He may have learned some things after he left home but he still needed to catch up. We may have had a 'base' but no training areas. So we just took him to the Arena for practice."

"With his new uniform and identity?"

I nodded.

"Why did you call him "The Rookie"?"

_Because his armor sort of looked like the dude from ODST and, _"I said it to him when he joined. It just kind of stuck from there. Besides, he was a new part of the team so it seemed like a good fit."

"So when was his first mission?"

"About mid August,"

Anderson looked at his datapad for a second before looking back at me. "Around the time you made your second recruitment?"

"It was the day we met yes."

He handed the datapad to me, revealing the face of the recruit in question. "The thief?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>August 12th, 2182<strong>

**6:45 PM, Citadel Time**

**Deviant Arena, Tayseri Ward**

I was leaning against the rail, about fifteen feet above the steam rolling down below. Shakiel, Bjorn, Paul and Phil were trouncing the opposition, with minutes to spare the last Turian enemy was on the floor. The other side of the Arena showed Shakiel with a smoking pistol barrel. While he was practicing I felt that if he already had ODST style armor, why not go the extra mile?

So I gave him one of the SMGs and attached a top-of-the-line red dot and silencer. Along with his pistol's built-in suppressor and scope. He got the hang of the weapons quickly and was working pretty well with Paul and Phil. They too changes their armor sets, making them look anything but the off the shelf sets that they originally were. I turned and looked to Shea and Josh who nodded.

* * *

><p>Everyone was gathered in front of the holo-screen next to our base's entrance. After a few adjustments, all the information was clearly laid out. I stood with my hands behind my back next to the display.<p>

"As some of you may know, while we do have a quite a bit of cash it's quickly starting to fade. What with all of the weapons, gadgets, equipment and bags of chips for Shea."

"Hey!"

Shea's objection eared a few chuckles before I continued. "Thankfully, Terran found the perfect remedy. A man named Tim Westwood has acquired a painting by...somebody and has it secured in a building at the edges of Zakera. I think you can see where this is going," the screen made a 3-D representation of said building. "The painting is on the second floor with most of the guards. Two people will be on that floor to take care of them along with Tarren's help while two more people cover the other floors."

"So you guys take out the guards while Terran disables security?" Shakiel asked.

"Not us Shakiel. You." His face went from confused to excited and back to confused again. "Bjorn and I are going to sit this one out. You will be going with Josh on the second floor instead while Shea and Phil take care of the other two."

"W-what about the guards? I've never actually shot anybody yet, at least not here." Shakiel stuttered.

"And you still won't. The people paid to guard the place are just your everyday security guards. Innocents, we'll be using stun rounds. This is just your chance to practice with something more important than stomping over failed mercs at the Arena."

"What about stealing the painting? Aren't we supposed to be the good guys?"

"Mr. Westwood stole the painting from the previous owner, and that owner stole it from the one before, who stole it from the one before, who stole it from the one before, who's now dead. So I have no problem stealing it from little Timmy."

"It's like Princess Peach, except with a painting," said Shea.

"And no fat ugly plumber saving it eight-hundred times," added Phil.

"So, we're good?" I asked, the nods I received being positive. "Alright then, let's go."

* * *

><p>I lied prone on the rooftop of the building next door to the painting's location. I had my trusty sniper rifle steadied, zooming in and out, scanning all the floors and guards. Bjorn was doing the same with a detached scope module. Meanwhile Terran and Paul were in the shuttle. The former breaking through the security systems and the latter to put bluntly...bitching.<p>

"This is the part that sucks about being a pilot," he said.

"You pilot a flying car that can go to outer space and back, with machine guns attached," I pointed out.

"Except I then have to sit and wait for you guys to finish crap like this. Why can't you have someone else pilot for once?"

"Do you remember what happened the last time we tried that?"

* * *

><p><em>I gave into Paul's laziness and let someone else pilot the shuttle. I don't know why but that somehow translated into Bjorn being behind the wheel. Which then translated into us free-falling off the fifteen story building we parked on. <em>

"_Pull up you idiot!" Paul yelled in the back._

"_I am! It's not working!" replied Bjorn._

"_Because you need to give it some power!"_

"_Yeah, one problem with that." _

"_What?" I asked._

"_We're about to land."_

_The crash was deafening when we were slammed back into the seats of the vehicle. I groaned when I nearly fell on the floor. Thankfully nobody seemed seriously hurt. Gotta love inertial dampeners_

"_Uh, maybe Paul should pilot this," said Bjorn._

"_Ya think?" said Paul. Getting up and pulling the former pilot out of the cockpit._

_I followed him to see a man standing in front of our shuttle, jaw dropped along with his suitcase. More shocking was the man himself, Ambassador Udina. Still confused I opened the shuttle door to see what was below us, finding an X3M skycar about forty inches shorter than it was originally._

"_Uh, Paul."_

"_Yeah, I put two and two together as well!" He said, roaring off while the Ambassador spewed curses._

* * *

><p>"You have to admit it ended on a positive," the pilot argued.<p>

"So what if it happened to a poor old man just crossing the street?" I asked.

"Well he's screwed!"

"Are you guys always like this on missions?" asked Shakiel on the comm chat. Him, Josh and Shea were looking for an entrance on the other rooftop.

"Yeah, pretty much," confirmed Phil, from the ground floor.

"Nobody said you can't have fun while catching killers or stealing dumb paintings," I shrugged.

There was more bickering when I then spotted another being on the third floor of the building. Two problems. A, he didn't look like any of the guards and B, his face was familiar. Too familiar...and kind of ugly.

"No way," I said out loud.

"What?" asked Shea.

"Keiji Okuda is in the building."

"Who?"

"Kasumi Goto's boyfriend."

"What the hell is he doing here?" asked Phil.

I tried to think back to all of the times I played ME2 with Kasumi in my squad, trying to remember any specific quotes about a painting. I kept coming to a dead end until I remembered one thing she said; _"That painting has a special place in my heart. An art collector hired me to steal it, when I got there, it was gone. On the way out, I saw it being hauled off by another thief. So I chased him down, tackled him and took the painting. That's how Keiji and I met."_

"Oh shit."

"What?" asked Shea.

"If I'm right, Keiji and Kasumi still haven't met and are both hired to steal a painting which is probably the same one we're after."

"And now we have to finish this in about half the time we were planning. Fuck!"

Taking the initiative, Shea jumped down to the third floor with Shakiel and Josh.

"Just get inside the building everyone. This whole thing just got a lot more complicated."

I went back to search for any more signs of both thieves when Bjorn, Terran and Paul asked in unison.

"Who's Kasumi?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

Shea took out the first guard on the floor in his black and red combat suit with Shakiel and I dropping down right afterwards.

"You okay by yourself on this floor?" Shakiel asked Shea.

"Yeah, these guards are child's play. Just get to that floor before what's his face does."

Shak and I let Shea do his work as we found a staircase to the second floor. I let my hand slide along the railing as my feet clicked their way down the steps. I stepped toward the entry in sight as the surface evened out, a guard appeared at the door. Reacting, I delivered a hard blow to his stomach, stunning him before he could respond and followed by another blow to the back of the head. Shakiel took point with his SMG. Two more guards appeared at the other end of the hallway, the Rookie burst fired the trigger scoring enough rounds to go through both guard's Kinetic barriers and stun them silently. We moved up, taking a right turn to head to the floor's centre.

"Alright, first floor is locked down. Nobody's leaving the place from down here," said Phil over the comm.

"Good, we're almost at the painting. Still no sign of Keiji or Kasumi," I said.

We moved into cover near the center of the floor. We were close to our objective now, which gave the reason as to why there were four guards with their peashooters out. Their eyes roamed the space, must've heard some of the noise from our dealings with their friends. I pulled out my silent shotgun. Shakiel nodded with his SMG ready to go.

"Alright on my mark," I hushed. "3, 2, 1, mark!"

We rushed the center, spraying rounds every which way, our victims squirming on the ground before being knocked out cold. We moved forward, stopping outside the locked room containing the painting.

"Trojan, you think you can..."

"Way ahead of ya," replied Terran.

A second later the door opened, revealing the said painting. More interesting however, was the man standing in front of it. He took the painting with both hands and turned around to see us. He was rather dumbfounded when he saw our weapons pointed at him.

"Who..."

Shakiel fired a round into his head, the rival thief clutching it before he hit the floor. The painting fell out of his grasp, I abandoned my shotgun, reached out to grab the bottom of the frame before it landed on the ground. I breathed out and I didn't hear any sounds of expensive materials smashing into the ground.

"Yoink!" I grunted. The painting was too big to put on my back. "Could you pick that up? My hands are kind of..." I gestured to the painting.

Shak nodded, putting the SMG in his holster and picking up my shotgun off the floor.

"Guys, we've got the painting," announced the Rookie.

"Good, what about Keiji or Kasumi?" asked Lucas.

We headed out and made our way to the stairs, stepping over the sleeping guards we encountered. Shakiel took point up the steps, just in case there were more guards.

"We caught Keiji stealing the painting and knocked him out cold. I'm sure the guards will find him before he wakes up," I said as we reached the third floor.

"Good, let's just get out of here before any more complications ensue."

A few seconds later and we were back where we started, Shea was waiting for us, his hands out for a boost.

"Come on, we don't have much time," he said.

I was about to take a step when Shea was suddenly knocked down to the floor. Followed by Shakiel with my Shotgun disarmed. I only caught a short glimpse of a black outfit before I was then tackled. I glanced up to find the painting was out of my hands and hauled off by another being. The thief made a break for the hole in the roof but was interrupted as Lucas and Bjorn dropped down, armed to the teeth.

"I would suggest putting the painting down," said Lucas, cocking his burst rifle.

"Or what? You'll stun me to death?" she asked, surprisingly relaxed.

"Regardless of what I shoot you with, you'll end up on the ground while we walk out of here with that painting. So I would save some time and hand it over."

Shakiel, Shea and myself were back on our feet, weapons drawn.

"Come on, hand it over," I said, motioning with my free hand. Eventually she sighed and handed it over.

"My employer is going to be upset."

"I feel very sorry for him," replied Lucas.

"It's too bad you aren't with us, otherwise you'd getting a fair share," said Shea, a smirk hidden behind his helmet.

"That can always change. I don't really care about payment. I do what I do for the love of it," she replied, with her own small smirk.

"Oh sure. We'll just let a thief come buy and steal all our shit, sounds like a brilliant idea."

"I don't know," said Lucas. "A master thief could come in handy."

"Are you seriously suggesting we let her come with us?" asked Shakiel.

I wasn't saying anything, I was in the middle and obviously didn't know her character like Lucas did. She was a thief but somehow had that look of truth in her near covered eyes. _Plus getting a clear look now she is very..._

"Guys, C-Sec is on it's way. We've got to get out of here now," said Phil, over the comm channel.

"Alright, everyone let's go. Miss..." Lucas stopped when the thief suddenly disappeared. I shook my head to get back to reality as Shea gave Lucas a boost to the roof. He made it and stuck his hand out.

"Hand me the painting."

I held it out and Lucas grabbed it, setting it aside. Then he pulled Shea up to the roof and within a few seconds we were all on top of the building, Paul waiting with the shuttle. I picked up the painting and hopped in. Lucas was the last to enter as the shuttle lifted off to land on the ground floor. Phil ran out of the building and jumped in closing the door.

"How was it in there?" asked Lucas, removing his suit's helmet.

"Fine. Just the occasional guard here and there. Nothing too serious," shrugged Phil, doing the same. "I heard you on the radio. Were you actually considering bringing on Kasumi?"

"I figured why not?"

"Uh, cause she'll steal everything? Dumbass."

"What's she going to steal? I don't remember her being interested in armor sets and the only thing she could steal that would have any kind of bad effect would be our identities. And seeing as she's a fugitive herself, I don't think she would do that."

"Whatever, at least we got the painting out of there."

"Yeah. Terran, get online and find the highest buyer. I just want this out of the way."

"Sure thing."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

After landing, unequipping and leaving Terran to it, I exited the base's door and headed for my apartment next door. It unlocked once it recognized my face and I stepped inside, but stopped when Josh called out.

"Hey, wait!"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Do you have any drinks? I've run out and forgot to resupply."

"Sure, I think I've got some Asari sodas in the fridge," I nodded, stepping into my space's lobby to lie down and relax while Josh went to the chill box. It was then I saw a figure appear next to him just before he closed the door.

"Hi."

"Ah!" Josh jumped, dropping a bottle and spilling it's contents on the floor. I pulled out my sidearm as I got off my couch and stepped toward the kitchen, finding the Japanese thief with a smile on her face.

"Whoa, calm down, I'm just here to talk," she said to me, seeing the gun with a lack of fear.

I rolled my eyes as I put the gun down, knowing she wasn't going to try anything.

"Well sorry but you kind of broke into my fucking house!" I said.

"Well, I wouldn't say broke in, more like...snuck in."

"What do you want?" I sighed.

"A favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"As I predicted, my employer is upset I wasn't able to retrieve the painting. So upset that he's hired a couple of his goons to come after me."

"And you want us to stop them?"

"Well that could be part of it but that's not what I've got in mind."

I looked toward Josh to see if he had any objections. He had none. She didn't try to attack us and was just doing what she was paid to do.

I looked back at her. "Okay, I'm listening."

"My employer has a record that easily ranks with some of your arrests in C-Sec."

"How did you..."

She continued, ignoring my question. "Killing off one group of goons isn't going to do anything. He'll just send another bunch until they eventually get me or I stop him. Unfortunately, his mansion has too many guards even for me. So I need your help so we can get inside and stop him. What happens to him from there is your choice."

"And what do we get in return?"

"In exchange for helping me. I can join your team, no charge. It's been a while since I worked with other people anyway."

Despite the fact I wanted her to join earlier, I was having inner doubts. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't," the thief shrugged.

_God damn it. _I holstered my gun. "Well, if there's one thing that helps, it's honesty." I held my hand out. "Lucas Raycevich, aka Alcatraz."

She shook my hand. "Kasumi Goto, at your service.

**Now Playing : Greg Edmonson - Among Thieves**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : I always thought it would be awesome to see Kasumi before the events in Mass Effect 2. She was one of my favorite crew members and felt that she along with Zaeed should have gotten more appearances in ME3. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Be sure to leave any feedback if you can, it really helps with my writing. As always, PEACE.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5 : Triumph

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 5 : ****Triumph**

**August 13****th****, 2182**

**10:30 AM, Citadel Time**

**Terran's Apartment, Zakera Ward**

**(Terran)**

Despite the fact that I wasn't on the ground shooting up bad guys and beating people up, I always came back to my place completely exhausted. Though there always was one thing that made me cheer up after a hard day's work. Specifically the quarian I had my arms wrapped around. I knew it would suck when she was going to have to leave for the fleet but I told her I understood. I had a home world, colonies and an apartment to go back to, while most quarians couldn't dream of any of those things. At the moment I was enjoying physical contact with Lia, even if she was still inside her suit. Mid-enjoyment I suddenly woke up to the sound of my omni-tool beeping. I kept my eyes closed and ignored it. It beeped three more times, preventing me from slipping away but determined I forced my eyes shut. In a moment of silence. I let out a breath as I relaxed my head back onto the pillow.

Then it started beeping like a machine gun! I growled and rose up to see what the fuss was about. Unsurprisingly the message was from Lucas. I read it as Lia lifted herself on her elbows.

"What is it?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"Lucas wants me to get to the base," I said, equally raspy.

Lia set her self back down on her back. "Well, you better get over there then. He's just going to keep you up until you do."

As much as I wanted to argue, she had a point. It was better to just get this out of the way and deal with it now. Funny enough that was Lucas' outlook on everything. Still didn't mean I wasn't mad. I interlocked my five fingers with Lia's two before getting out of bed and grabbed a nearby T-shirt. I was about to head out the door when another message popped up. I sighed and checked to find it wasn't from Lucas. Instead it was from Josh.

_U 2 making out?_

I groaned in annoyance. I didn't hate Josh and I knew him and Lucas were friends since kindergarten but it didn't stop me from getting annoyed with his cocky attitude. Within seconds I was on the other side of the hall and entered the spare apartment/base. The whole group was there but the two asshole messengers caught my attention first.

"What the fuck took you so long?" asked Lucas with a smirk.

"You're a jerk, you know that? And Josh." I turned to him. "If you ever send me a message like that again I will..." I noticed a woman with a black hood covering her eyes and head with a matching outfit. I opened my mouth but was interrupted.

"Terran Tennant, meet Kasumi Goto."

"Isn't that the person from..." Everybody except Kasumi gave me a look saying "Shut the fuck up!". I looked away from her in a panic to come up with something. "From… from the painting heist?"

"No, she's a video game character," Lucas said sarcastically, despite it being the truth.

"So why did you call me here?"

"We've got another mission. It's urgent and concerns Kasumi here."

"And why are we helping her?" I asked, more harshly than I was intended.

"Because I can offer my services to your team but I need to get this issue out of the way first," said Kasumi. She brought up our hologram board displaying a mansion that looked straight out of _The Godfather_.

"Our target is my employer, Silas Mobo."

"Sounds like a Scooby Doo villain," muttered Lucas.

Kasumi continued. "A world famous art collector with a record of murder, extortion and more counts of blackmail than I care to count. However the police were never able to bring him in on any of these charges due to him bribing them. He didn't give me the location of his mansion but I always like to be prepared." She hit a few more on-screen buttons, showing a more detailed layout of the mansion. "My plan is to have myself and one of your infiltrators sneak into the back of the building where we can disable the buildings lock-down mode. Mobo has a small army inside and out, so things are going to get crazy. That's where Alcatraz and everybody else will storm into the front of the building, head inside and take out Mobo."

"Can't we just disable the lock-down mode from the outside?" asked Phil.

"Sadly no. It's hard wired so the only way we can get rid of it is by getting up close."

"Which you can do yourself?" I asked.

"Yes, I can get through systems like this in my sleep. The only reason I'm asking for your help is because of all the bodyguards."

"So what do you need me for?" anger surfaced in my voice.

The crew looked at each other multiple times before Lucas quickly got out of his chair. "Good job Terran, you can head back now," he said, clearly relishing my misery as they got their suits and weapons equipped.

"You woke me up just to tell me I'm not needed on a mission?" I shouted.

"Oh don't be such a crybaby," Lucas said, putting his helmet on. I kept raging at him until everybody was in the shuttle and the door shut in my face. I couldn't help but make a choking gesture before the shuttle lifted off and left the apartment.

_Normally I'm not a violent person, but I swear to God I'm going to kill that little fucker!_

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

"Alright we're landing just a block away from Mobo's mansion," Paul said into the comm chat while I loaded my pistol.

"That sounds like a really bad porno mag," Phil said to nobody in particular.

"So you and Kestrel head in first right?" Lucas asked Kasumi.

"Yes. Once we defuse the lock-down you and the rest of your team take care of Mobo's private army."

"That also sounds like a porno mag," said Phil.

"And then we either leave Mobo for C-Sec or kill him," said Lucas, ignoring Phil.

"I'd rather not give him a chance to escape," said Kasumi.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Are you going to let us know through the comms or with a signal?"

"I think the alarms and men in black suits should be a pretty good signal. See you in the mansion." She got out of the shuttle and I followed. Though I could still hear voices in the shuttle.

"That also sounds like a..."

"Shut up Phil!"

"Are you guys always like this?" asked the thief.

"Yeah, pretty much," I said sheepishly.

We ran through the empty unclaimed property block until we reached the front fence where I slid my back into cover as did Kasumi. She peeked around to look through the front gate, spotting five guards in the proximity. She motioned to follow as she went around the right corner of the wall. We tip toed on the metal-like ground that was all fake grass and stone on the other side of the wall. She opened up her omni-tool's map and turned to me.

"Boost me over that wall."

"Okay." I got my hands ready as she placed one foot and I boosted her up as much as I could. She came just short of the ledge and silently landed on the ground.

"Here, let me try standing on your shoulders."

I stood with my back to the wall as she walked up and grabbed my arms and lifted herself up until her knees were on my shoulders.

"Okay, I think I can make it—grab my legs."

_It's a good thing my friends weren't around because this probably looked quite undignified. _I reached my hands out and grabbed something when my eyes widened. _Oh crap!_

"I said legs," she said dryly.

"Right, sorry!"

_How __can she remain so calm after that! _She jumped off my shoulders and made it over the wall. Only then did I see a problem. "How am I going to get across?"

"There's an entrance on the far right of where you are, I can open it from this side."

I made my way over until I found the gate she was talking about. It opened just enough to let me in. I looked above and saw a camera. By instinct I took my pistol out of its holster and aimed at it, just as an arm pulled mine down.

"I hacked the camera to run on a loop. Shooting it will just alert them," said Kasumi, moving past me and taking cover behind a bush near the front steps of the mansion.

_Why wouldn't she have thought of that? _I followed.

Kasumi started to count down with three fingers. As soon as they closed we sprinted across to the other side of the mansion. Slowly moving around another bush I could see what looked like a small generator room. We stopped at the sight of three guards.

"There's no rush, we just have to wait for the right moment."

We closely paid attention until the guards walked away. I prepared to step out. Kasumi put a hand to me as two other guards entered the space. I sighed. This was always the worst part about stealth. _I bet the others don't have to deal with anything __this annoying._

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"This is so fucking annoying!" Phil shouted, echoing in the shuttle.

I reeled back. "Will you keep it down? Your voice carries."

"Why does everyone always say that?"

*Knock* *Knock*

We all looked at the door where the sound was coming from. I grabbed my rifle as everybody else got their weapons ready.

"Nice work dumbass," said Shakiel.

"What? Do you really think they actually heard that?"

I took a few steps forward and placed my hand on the handle. I turned to the others, they nodded. The door flew open as I was steadying my rifle at the target. A young male human with a pizza box and a face indicating he just shit himself.

"Uh, is there a Mr. Archer here?" he stuttered.

"Oh yes." Bjorn walked up. "Sorry about that, here." He took the box and gave the guy a fifty buck credit chit. "Keep the change." Bjorn shut the door.

I holstered my weapon and turned back to Bjorn. "The whole idea of a stakeout is not to be noticed!"

"Oh don't be such a crybaby," said Bjorn, taking a seat and slipping off his mask and night vision goggles. He opened the box and took out a slice. As he lifted it up to take a bite there was an undeniable alarm noise outside of the mansion. Met with a whining sound from Bjorn.

"God damn it!" He closed his pizza box and got ready. "For Christ's sake Fisher!"

Everyone except Paul and Phil looked at me. "Don't even ask." I said.

Shea opened the shuttle door and all six of us poured out of the vehicle to a perfect view of the mansion and the chaos within.

"So what's the plan?" asked Bjorn.

"We take three teams of two, left, right and center. We'll rendezvous at the front door and take this guy out. Ded, you with me?" I asked Shea.

"Hell yeah!" he equipped his black and red Mattock rifle.

We were all in front of the mansion's closed gate, not much of a problem due to Shea's love of carrying explosives. He placed a sticky bomb on the front and hit the detonator, blasting it open to reveal two guards turning around to face us. I let out a three shot burst with my rifle into the left guard as Shea put one into the right's head.

We all went our separate ways. Shea and I took the left, Bjorn and Shakiel took the right and Paul and Phil took the middle. With Shea taking point, I swapped my battle rifle for the sniper. Looking through the scope I spotted a guard running forward on the other side in the long grass-filled corridor. I pulled the trigger. His body flew backwards to the ground with an oozing hole in his chest. Three more guards came into view, all firing their rifles. I popped off one more shot before Shea and I took cover. I swapped my half empty mag for a full clip while Shea blind fired to suppress the guards. When he reloaded I popped out of cover ready to fire as the two remaining enemies fell to the floor. I zoomed out and saw the familiar sight of Josh and the still not-so-familiar sight of Kasumi. Telling Shea to hold his fire, we moved up to our teammates.

"You two alright?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, just fine," Josh spat out.

I turned to Shea knowing he probably had the same confused face behind the helmet as I did. I shrugged.

"Come on, let's get to the mansion before any more show up." I activated the comm channel. "How's everyone else doing?"

"Fine, the middle's clear," said Paul.

"Our side is clear too, we'll meet you at the door," confirmed Bjorn.

We ran across until we got to the large steps leading to the big wooden front door and the rest of our team. Shak was breathing heavily and shaking a tad bit.

"You alright Rookie?" I asked.

"Yeah, just not used to the adrenaline. Even with all the practice at the Arena, it's not the same thing when actual bullets are involved," he said, swapping mags on his SMG.

"I would say you'll get used to it but I'd be lying. The effect never really wears off." The way I saw it, you never got used to brushes with death. You just got used to how many times it happened.

I swapped back to my BR and loaded a fresh clip before turning to Bjorn. "Throw a flash. As soon as it goes off we all bust in."

Bjorn nodded and pulled out his grenade, ready to stun the guards inside. I counted down to zero and opened the door. He threw the flash in and I slammed it shut.

A second later there was a muffled explosion and the ground shook. My face opted for immediate anger.

"What the fuck! Again?" I exclaimed.

Before Bjorn could respond, bullets started coming through the unarmored door, hitting my shields. I leaned left into the stone pillar to protect me. I took a breath and kicked the door open, everybody following. I pumped three bursts into the first guard's chest as the two behind him got put down by Shakiel and Phil. I slid into cover behind a chest high stone wall being peppered with shots from guards up stairs. I couldn't lift my head an inch without becoming dead meat.

"Can you take these bastards out!" I shouted to Josh and Shak to my left. Shakiel popped out with his scoped pistol taking out the first enemy with a headshot while Josh trigger fingered the other guard.

I took my chance and vaulted over cover, rushing forward. I leaped right as five more guards came from the hall. I had my back behind a piano of all things, one of its legs collapsed from the gun fire. The whole place echoed with the sound of deafening gun fire as well as what sounded like a hallucinating youngster playing Vexations. On crack. I opted to end the madness. I popped out of cover and fired at the first of the five guards in the hallway before tearing up the second. The other three's shots were cut off by Shea and Paul taking them down.

The shooting ceased. Breathing heavily I stood up, ejecting another burning hot thermal clip.

"Everyone good?" I got a rush of "yes'" and "yeahs". "Alright, look for Mobo. He's got to be somewhere around here."

I decided to flop down onto the big chewed up couch next to the piano. Everyone else split up, storming each of the spaces in the gigantic palace. I heard foot steps coming from the hall. I assumed it was one of the guys but they sounded like normal shoes. I turned around and raised my battle rifle to see a pale-skinned male in his mid life crisis, holding an M-77 Paladin pistol. _Our little Scooby Doo villain really is a rich bastard isn't he?_

"You really are one stuck up bastard Alcatraz," he said in an Aussie accent.

Seeing him in his rich business cloths and expensive pistol compared to my gear gave me an idea. "Are you sure a gun fight is what you really want?"

Mobo looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I've got the rest of my team in the building, you've got a bunch of dead guards. I'm wearing body armor, you've got a suit. I've got a modified scoped rifle, you've got a pistol. You don't have a chance."

"So what do you purpose instead?"

I gestured towards one of the few things that wasn't destroyed, a pair of Samurai swords on the shelf. There was a long pause before Mobo smirked. I put down my BR, while he set down his Spectre grade pistol.

"You should know that I was—"

I pulled out my sidearm and put one round into his knee cap. He clenched it, spouting curses.

"Ahh! You said—"

"What? You thought I was going to have a sword fight when I have a gun? Get fucking real!" I said, kneeling next to him. I heard more footsteps that were a lot more familiar. I turned around to find the rest of the group looking amused. Mobo however looked at the hooded thief in disgust.

"Kasumi! You think you can betray me!"

"I just did. Enjoy your life sentence." She walked away. _Probably to go steal some things from __this dickhead's house. _I was about to ask what she was talking about before Paul interrupted me.

"We found a bunch of files linking him to bribery and murder. As soon as C-Sec finds out about them he's done for."

"Get me an ambulance! I'm in pain!" Mobo shouted.

I got out my little device to send an automated call to C-Sec. "Oh don't worry, the medics will be here soon enough. Just to make sure you're in tip top shape for rotting in a cell." I dropped the device next to Mobo. We walked out of the room leaving the guy to his own despair. Kasumi met with us at the front door and we walked out of the mansion.

Within a few minutes we boarded the shuttle, leaving behind the destruction we caused to a bastard that deserved it.

**Now Playing : nervous_testpilot - Triumph**


	6. Chapter 6 : Paradigm Shifter

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 6 : Paradigm Shifter**

**August 13****th****, 2182**

**1:45 AM, Citadel Time**

**The Wild Bunch Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

We came back from the operation satisfied; one more bad guy arrested and a new teammate recruited. We held our side of the bargain and Kasumi held hers. She didn't have a place to stay so she was just sleeping in the shuttle. Or at least I think she was. Half the time she's not even visible despite the lack of a cloaking ability. I guessed she got that later, this was three years before Mass Effect 2 remember. All she needed was an alias and we would be good.

The only other highlight was that Josh rushed back to his apartment as soon as he was done unpacking from the mission.

I shrugged it off and went back to my place to try and get some sleep. However my insomnia kicked in and as a result I was heading back to the base to distract myself for another hour. I was surprised to find Shakiel staring out the window in a chair with a cider in his right hand.

"Can't sleep either?" I asked, taking a seat next to him.

"No. Some of the adrenaline hasn't worn off. I haven't been in situations like that in a long time."

That's when I was reminded that there was still one thing he hasn't answered yet.

"Are you going to tell us what happened to you?" I asked, impatience evident in my voice. "You've done your training so you can't use that excuse."

Shakiel sighed. "I just wanted to forget about it alright."

"I think it's pretty safe to say that's not going to happen. You're just going to dig yourself a larger hole the longer you put this off Shakiel." I had grown up surrounded by problems that could have been prevented if people just dealt with them sooner rather than later.

Shakiel looked at me for before taking a deep breath with his head facing down.

"I had gotten a ride to your place and I was walking up the driveway. Except when I got there, two vans were parked and I saw you guys being carried to them by some... group. Before I could voice anything I had been knocked out and I woke up in some alleyway. Nothing like I had seen back home. I walked out to see a turian walking across the street, next to a big orange neon sign. I figured that I was somehow in Mass Effect -that's probably understating it quite a bit- so I walked out to figure out where I was. That's when I saw a nightclub with a big sign that said 'Afterlife'."

"Omega."

"Bingo. Once I realized I was in the shit hole of the galaxy I did what you guys did. Took out all my things and sold them for cash. I didn't trust any of the batarian owners since I was afraid they would rob me so I took it to some elcor clerk. Turns out that didn't help because the next day I was followed by three batarians with knives."

"I'm guessing you took them out?"

"You must have me confused with someone who's brave. I ran as it was literally life or death. They were gaining on me, though. I thought for sure I was done for, that this was just all one big bad dream and I would wake up home again."

"I'm guessing that didn't happen."

"No. Instead I heard a bunch of crashing sounds behind me and I turned to see all of them on the ground. There was this asari standing over them with her biotics flared and she told me to follow her. So I did." He took a big gulp of his cider. "Her name was Sarena. Sarena T'Las. After she saved me from those thieves I just started to follow her around."

"And you never told her how you got there right?"

"Right. I said I had amnesia but I don't think she bought it. She never bugged me about it, though. She was like a mentor for me. She taught me the basic combat techniques you saw me use in the Arena. That's how I was able to win so many of the lower grade matches."

"Sounds like you liked her."

"Well, yeah, she..." He stopped at my grin. "No, no, it was never like that. She was just a friend," he said quickly. I tilted my head. He sighed. "Fine, I liked her. I really liked her."

"Did you ever admit your feelings to her?"

I already knew the answer when I saw Shakiel stare down at the floor. "No, I didn't." He looked up. "About four months ago I was about to talk to her about it when suddenly the apartment she and I shared erupted in gun fire. She put up a biotic barrier to block some of the rounds and we escaped out of an emergency exit. We got to the transit station when she told me to run and save myself, that it didn't involve me."

"What didn't involve you?"

"I can't say for sure. She never told me. Just before I got on the ship to leave Omega, she said that she would message me when the deal was done. I still haven't got that message." His hand tightened around his drink as his left hand formed a fist.

"What did you do when you escaped?"

He let his hands relax. "The ship I had boarded took me to Illium but I couldn't afford to stay there for more than a couple days. Most of the money I had was in the apartment on Omega. So I took another transit to the Citadel and was able to get a few credits off of some equipment. I've been basically scavenging since."

While I was still not happy that he had kept this hidden, I could understand why. I had friends to help out, to make surviving this place more bearable. Shakiel by sheer chance didn't get that. He only had one asari to trust in the "Shithole" of the galaxy and that person was now gone and possibly dead.

I rose from my chair. "Don't count her out just yet Shakiel. If I've learned anything in the past year it's be ready for anything and everything."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." He nodded. "I just hope she's okay."

I gave him a smile before leaving and heading back to my apartment. I reached for the kettle to make some Sleepy Time tea. Overall, things were going pretty well. We got two new people on our team. Shakiel was opening up and we got a master thief on board to help was in a nice balance._ I just hope nothing c__omes along and upsets that balance._

Just then Josh walked in.

"I think I'm in love with Kasumi."

_Ah fuck._

**Now Playing : Rom Di Prisco - Paradigm Shifter (Long Version)**


	7. Chapter 7 : When Things Explode

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 7 : When Things Explode**

**March 16****th****, 2183**

**10:15 AM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6**

"Terran wasn't part of the ground team so his relationship with Lia never affected anything," I said. "But I knew Josh and Kasumi would be a different story."

"So you were upset when you heard about Josh's interest in Kasumi?" asked Anderson.

"No, not really, I just hoped it didn't go south. Besides, that wasn't the main thing that happened that week." My voice became a bit colder thinking back to the events.

"What happened?"

* * *

><p><strong>August 17<strong>**th****, 2182**

**8:15 AM, Citadel Time**

**Lucas' Apartment, Zakera Ward**

With the sun shining through my windows, I eased into my normal wake up routine. The alarm went off, I hit the sleep button...that's about it really. After that was repeated five more times I got out of bed, had a shower and made some breakfast. After tossing the bowl into the sink, I slowly got into my T-shirt and jeans and headed out the door. I was walking down the hallwhen I saw three small boxes stacked next to Terran's apartment. I knelt down and read the writing on the first box.

New Dawn Pharmaceuticals - Immuno boost : Professional Edition

Just then Lia came through the door to catch me grinning.

"I didn't know apartment buildings caused suit ruptures."

Lia's eyes widened and - despite the mask - was obviously blushing.

"That is none of your business." She snatched the first box away and walked back into the apartment. I stretched my arm out to stop the door from closing and followed her.

"You know, I'm pretty sure there is only one instance, aside from being shot, that a quarian would need immune-boosters."

"Well, you're wrong," retorted Lia.

"And those two other crates wouldn't happen to contain a room sterilizer and a box of herbs would they?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? 'Cause it seems like you– "

She turned around and slammed the box into me. "You tell anyone about this and I will kill you."

"Okay, okay! I promise. My lips are sealed."

She turned and put the box down in the lounge area before heading back to the door.

"I'm guessing Terran doesn't know about this?"

I didn't need to see her face to know she was smirking. "No. I hope he likes surprises."

I shook my head but smiled at her eagerness. Though looking down the hallway did remind me of something.

"Where is Terran anyway?"

"I think he said he was going to the Sirta Foundation."

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

I remained in an unconscious state. Dreaming about Lia, what she was like behind that mask, what it would be like for her, what it would mean for her. I was going to go on forever until I felt something tight against my wrists. I opened my eyes to find myself in a black room. This was no dream. My wrists were tied to a chair. I tried to sit up but my feet were tied to the legs of the chair. All I could do was look around the windowless concrete room.

"Oh, very funny guys! You're real comedians, now let me out," I called out. Silence, except the echo of my voice, was all I got in return.

"Seriously guys, you've had your fun now let me ou—"

Suddenly, I felt a blade next to my neck, just short of cutting through my skin. I gasped. My eyes popped out at the sight of the knife. A seven foot turian with black armor and a helmet hiding his identity stood in front of me.

"I've been waiting for this day, Trojan."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

After finding out about Lia's...intentions, I left the apartment to pick up a few things. But that was just a bird to kill with the stone; the real reason was to find out where Terran was in the mean time. He didn't pick up his omnitool, but after that whole thing with the painting heist, I wasn't surprised.

I was walking down the semi-crowded street when I found there to be an odd change in the pattern of people in groups. A large length of the area just suddenly became empty while there was a pack of people all gathered near the end of it. I sped up a little to find out what was going on, moving past the Sirta Foundation to the scene of attention.

I pushed my way through the crowed until I encountered a familiar sight. A holographic line saying in big letters "POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS".

"Whats going on here?" I asked one of the officers guarding the line.

"Sorry sir, but we're investigating the scene," a C-Sec asari said to me. "I suggest you head back home."

Knowing that I wasn't going to get anything out of standing there, I walked away from the crowd and headed back to the shop. But I stopped when I glanced at my right and saw a familiar red face painted turian talking to two other officers.

"Johan!"

He turned and saw me, gesturing the other two officers to head back to the crime scene. "Lucas! What are you doing here? Aren't you locking yourself in a room writing a novel or something?"

When my friends and I started The Wild Bunch we knew that we were going to need covers if we didn't want our C-Sec pals to see the connection between the time we left C-Sec and the time The Wild Bunch started appearing. My cover was being a voice over artist and start up writer. People seemed to like my voice work back home so freelancing wasn't too hard and I was writing a novelization of my experiences at C-Sec, supposedly. Being the lazy person that I was, I named it "Mass Affect" for the time being. It's not like anybody would know where I really got the name from.

"Yeah, I'm still doing that. I was just going to pick a few things up when I was drawn to the familiar sight," I said, gesturing to the crime scene. "What's going on?"

Johan looked at the scene again before turning to me. "Oh, screw it. We got a call from somebody about an explosion in this area, that's why there's black markings everywhere."

"A bombing?"

"That's what I thought at first too, but here's the really weird thing. The explosion was caused by something homemade and the blast didn't injure anybody,"

My face changed to the confused quickly. "So the attacker didn't time it right?"

"No, there were people everywhere even when it went off. It's just that the explosive device was planted in an area close enough to get peoples attention but too far away to actually do any real damage. And it wasn't an accident—I checked. This has all the makings of an attack but there's no attack involved."

"Maybe the bomber was just trying to scare people," I weakly suggested.

"Doubt it—you were a cop, you know that an explosion isn't going to cause a panic on this station. It needs to be a lot bigger than this. I just hope whoever did this isn't just getting warmed up."

"Agreed." There was a silence when we both just stared at the scene before I turned to my friend. "Well, it's always good to see you Johan."

"Same here." He shook my hand. "See you on the weekend?"

"Sure, see you around," I called out, walking away from the scene. I had to admit that, while the bureaucracy and red tape pissed me off, it didn't stop me from missing C-Sec sometimes. It was more of the environment. The mediocre coffee and snacks. The worn out but determined mind set of knowing that you couldn't through in the towel until you put your suspect behind bars. Knowing that there were others just like you doing the same thing. It had a certain satisfaction when everything turned out for the better. Of course it worked both ways. That was one of the reasons I left after all.

With my nostalgia of fighting crime legally, I headed to the Sirta Foundation to see if I could find Terran there.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

I swallowed a big lump of phlegm with his knife against my neck. "What do you want?" I asked, failing to show my fear.

I felt his covered head move next to mine. "The team you work for goes out and stops criminals, takes on armies of guards and finishes things that C-Sec can't. These men risk their lives, while you sit back and unlock doors." His flanged voice was deep and gave me chills.

"That still doesn't answer my question," I said cautiously.

He chuckled. "I want you to feel what they must feel. The rush, the tension, the anxiety of knowing that your decision has a great and terrible impact." He disappeared in the dark for a second, before re-emerging with a table that had a terminal on it. He set it down in front of me and put a gun to my head. "You try anything funny and you know what'll happen." He untied the straps around my wrists. I looked at my battered hands before he gestured his gun to the terminal. I set my hands on the holographic key pad with my index finger hovering over the "Enter" button. Taking a deep breath, I hit it.

The screen lit up with dozens of security cameras inside of what looked like an office building surrounding a timer in the middle.

**2:00.00**

The numbers started to countdown showing that it was two minutes. A beeping sound was made by the terminal after every second went by. The mystery man put a gun to my head, changing my face from confused to scared.

"Hack into that buildings mainframe and extract their finances."

I relaxed my hands and breath from the panic they were in. I set my hands on the keypad and opened up my applications. It was then I found out that the terminal was the same one I had at my place. Which meant it had my Override program. What it allowed me to do was instantly take control over someone else's omnitool or terminal. Most people that used it were fools and were usually caught by a computers anti-virus program; however, a skilled hacker could use it without ever being detected. Opening the software I took footage of the building and put it through my scanner. Within seconds it gave me the location of the building at 451, Tayseri Ward. Knowing which company owned the building and its location, I broke into one of the unused terminals in the workplace on the top floor. Despite the user giving each of his log-ins different passwords, I was in the system in seconds and found the boss' financial account. I booted up the browser and entered the online banking site, typing in all of the bosses account information and full budget of one hundred million credits.

The mystery man lowered his gun from my head; I could tell he was smiling behind his helmet.

"Very impressive, I can see why they have you on the team," he said.

I looked at the screen and saw that I had about fifteen seconds to spare. "What was the point?" I asked.

"To see if you could work under pressure."

"So the timer and gun to my had was just a fear factor?"

"Well, the gun was."

A deafening sound came from the terminal. I looked to see the cameras inside the building either being static or showing flames while the outside cameras showed a massive fireball on the workplace floor of about eighty people. The countdown clock was at zero. The shattering sounds from glass falling down the tower was what the shock in my brain felt like.

I opened my mouth to speak but it kept closing on its own.

"I always liked to start small and end big." The man handcuffed me. "And trust me Trojan, we're just getting started."

**Now Playing : UNKLE - When Things Explode (Instrumental)**


	8. Chapter 8 : Fall

**Sorry that this took longer than usual to get out, I'll explain at the end. Enjoy, PEACE.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 8 : Fall**

**August 17th, 2182**

**9:00 AM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

After getting nothing from the Sirta Foundation I called everyone to meet in the base.

Back at C-Sec you had to know a little bit about everything no matter what your specalty was. In this case, everything from the sudden disappearance, the lack of evidence, the unanswered calls, were pointing towards one conclusion.

"Who would kidnap him though?" I thought out loud.

"Besides anybody we pissed off?" Phil said.

"No, we never left any evidence behind. Nobody ever figured out our real names or locations."

We wore gloves so there was no finger prints to recover, we wore masks or helmets so nobody knew our faces. We customized all of our equipment in house so there was no way to trace it. And yet somebody was able to get a hold of our hacker, and more importantly, our friend. I buried my face in both hands, my mind racing in a million directions.

"What are you doing?" A digitized feminine voice said.

We turned to find Lia in the room, her hands clenched into fists. "Standing around here doing nothing!" Her voice hovered between concern and anger.

"We don't have anything to go on Lia," I reminded her.

She moved closer. "Then find something to go on!"

"We can't just fly around the Citadel aimlessly because you're a worried girlfriend." My voice climbed in volume. "You need to think like a detective!"

"Then start thinking like one!"

I opened my mouth to voice some kind of retort but I came up with nothing. At times like these I didn't know whether to hate or thank her for being right. I took a deep breath and turned around. "Kasumi, hack into the C-Sec database. See if you can find anything."

"On it." She walked to one of the terminals.

I turned back to Lia. "I'll head back to the Sirta Foundation. There's got to be something there, hopefully something that takes us to wherever Terran is."

"I'm coming with you." Lia stood defiantly in front of me.

"No you are not."

"Lucas..."

"I've known him for over five years Lia. So don't give me anything about who wants him back more."

"I need him back!"

"Then let me get him back!"

Her eyes were narrowed as she stared into mine, Clearly having a deadly battle in her head despite the mask. She lowered her head and sighed.

"I'm good with tech. I'll help Kasumi."

She walked past me. I closed my eyes and breathed. I knew how much she wanted to be involved directly but if anything happened to her we'd just be rescuing a dead-man-walking and not Terran.

"Shea, let's go." I called out. "We've got a friend to rescue."

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

Despite being tied to a chair in a lifeless blacked out room this wasn't like in the movies. There were no knives lined up on the walls covered in blood, no creepy television screen. No objects cutting into me making me scream in agony. Instead I sat there with the torture in my head. Knowing that I had stolen millions of credits from people I didn't know just so they could be blown up a few seconds later. I stared at the ground, breathing heavily as the masked man walked up to me.

"You do know that moping isn't going to help any of this right." He said nonchalantly.

I swallowed a big gulp of phlem. "I'm not saying a word."

"You just said five words."

I continued to stare at the ground, knowing that in my state arguing was completely pointless.

"Well, let's get to our other test shall we?" He got up and walked back into the darkest part of the room where I couldn't see him.

I kept my head down, not wanting to see what he was bringing back. However my head titled up a little bit and my eye caught two wheels moving toward me. I found myself looking at a Batarian. A Batarian with a blood-covered arm that looked like it was mutating. It was absolutely disgusting yet I couldn't turn my eyes away. The bloody victim said nothing and looked like he was going to pass out.

"What did you do to him!"

"Nothing, I just found him on the street." He shrugged. "People tend to really dislike these four-eyed buggers."

He walked up to me and disconnected the cables tying my legs to the chair. He did the same to my hands but quickly attached a pair of cuffs and shoved a pistol into my chest. "Don't do anything stupid."

He backed away but kept the pistol trained on me. I couldn't see any doors, so there was no way for me to even attempt an escape. I turned my eyes back to the Batarian in front of me. He groaned, slowly blinking his eyes.

"Aren't you going to do something?" I asked the masked man. _I really need to come up with a better name for him._

"What can I do? There's no medi-gel anywhere and the infection on his arm has already progressed too far to stop."

The masked man didn't say anything, instead he gestured one finger toward something tucked behind the wheels of the carrier the Batarian reclined upon. I walked behind it and saw a handle. I pulled it out of its slot shocked at what I was holding, an old fashioned human hand saw designed to cut logs. My head darted between the masked man, the Batarian and the saw.

"You, no, no, I'm not doing that!"

"His infection is rapidly spreading and there's no medi-gel anywhere. That means there's only one way to stop it."

"Why don't you just do it yourself then?"

"I've gone through my fair share of hell already. You're the one that remains unscathed."

My teeth clenched as my knuckles became as white as the anger inside me. I examined the Batarian, or more specifically the infection. It looked like one of those ugly transformations out of Resident Evil. I mentally cursed, I wanted to get this over with. Grabbing the handle with my hand-cuffed hands, I brought the saw up toward the end of the guy's arm. He looked dead with his lifeless eyes staring at nothing. I closed my eyes and pushed the saw further onto the man's skin. It wasn't doing anything. This wasn't an axe where I could just push or swing and get it done with. I started to cut the arm with the saw. The Batarian started squeezing every part of his face shut, his voice roaring in pain.

I couldn't take it any longer and pulled the saw out. I looked to find that I hadn't even cut an inch. I was breathing heavily and my eyes were on the verge of tears.

"I can't do this! I can't!"

The masked man looked at me, he sighed and put one swift bullet right between the Batarian's eyes. I gasped. He aimed the pistol back at me. The Batarian was still tied to the carrier but the recoil from the bullet caused it to fall on its back. Blood dripped from the man's head wound as well as the cut on his arm. Dumbfounded, the masked me yanked me away and brought me to my feet, handcuffs still tight.

"Why don't we go out for walk?" He said.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

Shea and I entered the Sirta Foundation, walking toward the front counter to find a middle-aged female human at the desk.

"Hello gentlemen; something you're looking for?"

"Yes actually, have you see this man?" I pulled up picture of Terran.

"Yeah he was in here a few hours ago. what about him?"

"Did you see where he went?" Shea asked.

"Uh no. It wasn't especially busy but there was that explosion that went off when he was here."

"And you didn't see him after that?"

She shook her head.

I had a bad feeling. If somebody took Terran, it was from here. "I know this is going to seem like an odd request Ma'am but I'm going to need to check your security footage." I said.

Her eyes narrowed. "And what makes you think I'm going to let you do that?"

"I'm a former cop..."

"And that gives you the right to raid my store?"

"Let me finish," I sighed. "I'm a former cop, therefore I know that if I call C-Sec to investigate this place, since medi-gel is technically illegal, you're going to have a lot more to worry about than two guys just trying to find a friend."

She sighed before gesturing us to follow her into a typical surveillance room. A couple of holographic screens here and a few keypads there. The clerk sat down and rewound some of the footage to when Terran was in the store. She hit Play. Terran was wearing normal clothing and looked to be browsing. That is until suddenly the footage went static and we couldn't see anything.

"What the hell?" Blurted the clerk.

She hit Fast Forward until the footage came back again with no more problems. Except for the fact that Terran was no where to be seen.

"That's odd. Our cameras are top of the line. There's no way they would evase on their own." The lady rambled. "Maybe it was the explosion."

"If that was the case there would have been a shake before the camera went static and it wouldn't suddenly recover by it self," Shea said.

I moved into the corner of the room and got my Omni-tool out to make a call.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

After being locked up in a blacked out space isolated from the rest of the universe, my eyes felt like they were going to disintegrate. Though the artificial daylight allowed me to get a better look at my captor. He was a clever bastard; his outfit was a near perfect replica of an E-Sec uniform. He also discarded my handcuffs and replaced them with a tracker on my right foot to administer a voltage shock on his command. And because he never actually tortured me I just looked like another duct rat.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"Somewhere you've never been to."

"That's specific." I snorted.

"No one likes a smart ass." His voice becoming firm.

"Says the guy who counts how many words I say."

"I never intended you to like me Trojan."

It was a good thing he kept close, otherwise he would be broadcasting my alias to the world.

"And that was ten words." He finish.

"You're fucking crazy."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"What the hell do you mean the footage is gone!" Lia exclaimed on the other line of the chat.

"The cameras go dark and when they come back Terran is gone. Whoever took him is not just some two-bit-screw-up."

"Screw-ups usually don't cover their tracks with S.F.E.'s," said Kasumi.

My eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "Uh, what?"

"Security footage erasers. Thieves like me use them all the time to cover our tracks. So if I were to stand within a certain range of a camera the device would cause interference."

"And that means we can't use any other camera in the area because those will be static as well," said Shea.

Abruptly, I had an epiphany. "So why don't we just follow the trail?" I asked.

Shea's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "Uh, what?"

"If the kidnapper disables any camera he gets close to, we just need to find which ones those are and they will lead us to his location."

"That might actually work!" Said Kasumi

"Yeah, of course it would." Josh muttered, barely above a whisper. I opened my mouth to speak but...

"What was that Josh?" Kasumi asked.

"What? Nothing, sure, fine. That should work."

I mentally face palmed and got back to the task at hand.

"All right. Josh, Bjorn and Paul, I want gather in the shuttle with our gear and we'll meet up at the Sirta store."

"Checking all the nearby cameras is going to take a long ass time," Josh said.

"Then we better get started."

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

The silence between the masked man and me continued until we reached our destination, a dingy little club called "Envy". While it was a pretty shitty little place that wasn't the reason I got scared. What made me scared, was that the place was run and owned by the Drag Brothers. One of the three gangs we kept an eye on back at C-Sec.

"What are we doing here?" I hissed.

"Oh so now you want to talk?"

"I asked what are we doing here!"

"To give you your third test."

"Does this one involve me blowing people up or slowly cutting off their limbs?"

"It's one that involves you directly." He handed me a datapad with a photo of one of the gangs leaders. Johnny Drag. "The Drags have been looking for someone to do some dirty work for them. I told them that Cable is on his way and will arrive to strike an agreement."

"So you're here to make a deal with some assholes. What's that got to do with me?"

"They don't know what Cable looks like."

I stared into his tinted visor. "You, you want me to go in there as you?"

"No, I want you to go in there as Blasto : The Hanar Spectre."

"You can't send me in there! If they don't buy it I'm fucked!"

"Then you better make sure they buy it."

I glared before turning to face the big imposing doors that would lead me to my death sentence. I took a deep breath and entered the environment full of flashing red lights, Asari dancers and pounding techno. I made my way through the crowd before reaching the staircase leading to an overhead space. I was stopped by two giant human guards at the bottom of the stairs.

"V.I.P's only. Head back. Now."

"I, I am important." _Come on! Stop stuttering like a damn fool! _

"You're going to need to give us more than that if you want to get in."

"I'm Cable." I sighed. "And I need to see your boss right now."

The guards looked dubious but moved aside to let me through.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

The C-Sec threat didn't work with all the other shops that Shea, Josh, Bjorn and myself had visited. Thankfully Paul remembered to bring all our equipment. It's funny how much easier it is to get what you want from a store clerk when you put on a set of armor with enough guns and ammo to blow up half of Russia.

Yet the path just seemed to go on forever. Even after all this time we kept finding one disabled camera after another. I opened up my Omni-tool's map which contained a path I added that was made up of all the disabled cameras we found. There was one nerve-racking thing however. A club called "Envy" was nearby and the camera path seem to be getting closer to it after each one we found.

_I really hope he's not there..._

I was interrupted when I heard screaming in the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

I made my way up to find a laid back human with both arms on the sides of the couch as a stripper was dancing all over him.

"Uh, is this a bad time?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Ah, Cable. So glad you could make it. Could I interest you in one of these little babies?" Johnny Drag gestured to the stripper.

_I already hate this guy. _"Uh, no please, I'm good.".

"Hmm, one of those straight to business guys huh? That's cool; if you're gay or something." He whispered something to the stripper before she nodded and made her way past me down the stairs.

"Please, have a seat." He gestured to one of the chairs to my right, which I took and sat in front of him.

We sat in silence, his freaky almost black eyes staring at me. Only then did I remember that even with my coat on I still looked really tall and lanky when I was supposed to look like a contract killer.

"I have to say, you're not what I expected Cable."

I blinked as I my mind got back to the present. _Say something idiot! _"Looks can be deceiving." I almost winced at the cliché-ness of the line but held it, the Drag's eyes were still on me.

"When we made contact with you, you were very determined about not letting us properly ID you."

"Not many people have seen my face." I said slowly. "Well, not many people lived to see my face." I didn't stutter this time.

Johnny smiled at that.

"I can understand your reasoning. However, this does give us one problem. Because we haven't been able to properly ID, all I have is your word." His smile started to fade. "So as far as I know, you could just be someone trying to pose as Cable. Because you think I might be a fucking idiot. So how can you prove to me that you are who you say you are?"

My eyes darted everywhere, my mind racing. How could I convince him? Then I remembered something. Everybody else in the crew was not entirely themselves when they put their helmets or masks on. Lucas and Alcatraz were both sarcastic and brutally honest but Alcatraz still wasn't Lucas. It was the same for everyone else. If their aliases were the same as themselves they wouldn't need to bother with masks or armored suits. I didn't have a gun, suit, or mask. But I still needed part of me to not be me to get out of this.

"I think all the things I've seen should be enough proof."

"How so?" He asked.

"I've been in this line of work for two years," _That's it, partial truth. _"I've seen and experienced enough bloodshed that would make any other ordinary living being scream all the way back to primary school." I couldn't figure out whether that was good or bad. "Look at me. Do I really seem like somebody that hasn't seen these things?" I kept my look as cold as ice.

He returned it, but smiled as he reached out for a datapad and passed it to me. "All the things you need to know are on there."

I felt like jumping out of the chair and sigh in relief but I stopped to make sure I saved that until I got out of here. I got up from the chair and hit the power button on the datapad to see what Intel he gave me as I walked back to the steps. All I got was a blank screen, just as I felt a piece of metal contact my front chest. I looked to see one of the guards. I turned my head back to Johnny who was on the verge of laughing.

"I didn't buy it for a second."

I felt a whoosh go past my head and hit the guard holding me at gunpoint. His blood covered my coat. The whole club started screaming in panic as two more guards next to Johnny went down. I spun around multiple times as I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I stopped when I saw Johnny pulling out a pistol, his finger on the trigger. I dived to the ground as he shot a round. I saw another gunshot go through his two legs. He screamed in pain. Clutching his legs as he fell to the ground.

"Get moving!" A digitized voice came from my right ear. I touched it with my hand and felt a small ear piece. _The masked man must have put it on while I was tied to the chair._

"Now!" He yelled making me wince.

I ran down the stairs only to be stopped by the crowd of people making a break for the door. I tried shoving my way through but it was no use. I scanned the area looking for any shortcuts to the exit. To my left I spotted a few people making a break for an emergency exit door. I broke into a sprint and went through the door, entering a dark and dingy hallway. Not that I actually cared about the place's decor. After about half a minute me and a handful of people made it out of the exit and saw that we were back on the main street. The club's entrance was about fifty feet to the right, still packed full of people trying to get out. I was going to investigate when I felt a three-fingered hand grab my shoulder and drag me into an alleyway. I was slammed into the wall and saw the masked man.

"There's still one more test left."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I ran as fast as I could, pushing through people that also heard the chaos coming from the Drag Brother's shitty night club. I had contacted Josh, Shea and Bjorn who hopped onto the shuttle with Paul. I arrived at the scene, Paul's shuttle pulling up along side me. We were getting stares from everyone but at that point I didn't care. There were plenty of reports on the news about how we were causing anarchy but the majority of people seemed to actually be in favor of us being around. Especially after the reveal of Silas Mobo never being arrested due to him bribing corrupt officers.

Shea, Josh and Bjorn got out and Paul took off in the shuttle to wait for evac. The four of us went through the entrance.

"Jesus." I said.

The place was littered with flickering lights, dead guards, spilled blood and smashed glass. I took point while the other three followed, our weapons ready just in case any last standing guards were stupid enough to fire at us. I stopped when I saw one of the dead guards at the bottom of the stairs with a blood trail that went all the way to the top of the steps. He a bullet right through the side his head. _A perfect headshot. Whoever did this certainly has some training under his belt. _

I got back up and we walked up the stairs to find two more dead guards and Johnny Drag on the ground, growling in pain. I spotted puddles of blood near his legs. He raised his right arm wielding a pistol. Shea quickly walked up and kicked it out of his hands as him and the other two pointed their weapons at him.

"Oh this day just keeps getting better and fucking better," Johnny spat. "What the hell do you faggots want?"

_Why do I feel this guy should be walking around with an Xbox headset? _I took out a picture of Terran. "Have you seen this guy?"

"No. Why would I know any fucktards like him?"

I sighed and turned to the other three. "Why don't you guys search the place? See if you can find anything." I grabbed Johnny by the collar of his shirt and started dragging him, causing him to grunt in more pain. "I think little Johnny here could go for a swim."

I was expecting Bjorn to quote MGS4 : Guns of Awesome again but he remained silent and went down the stairs. Still dragging the Drag, I opened the guy's private bathroom door. When I got to the sink I put the cold water onto full blast. It started to fill the square shaped sink. I put Johnny back on his feet and balanced him against the sink so he didn't fall over.

"Now I'm going to ask again. Have you seen him? Do you know where he is or where he went?"

"Go fuck a jellyfish you prick!"

I grabbed his head with my right and and slammed him into the mirror as hard as I could. Shattering the glass all over the room and near the mans face. Blood started to pour out of his nose. He breathed heavily from his mouth and clenched his face.

"You motherfucker!"

"Where is he?" I asked, venom laced in my voice.

"I don't know, okay? That's the truth you sadistic fuck. I don't know!"

I pushed his head into the sink, water started spilling onto the floor. He tried to get his head out but I put both hands on the back of his skull, unable to speak as his mouth was being flooded. I yanked him out of the ice cold water. He gasped for air.

"I'm getting really sick of this Johnny. Where is he!"

"What part of "truth" do you not understand! I said I don't know and I really don't fucking know!"

"Why don't I believe you then?"

"I don't know! Maybe because you're so insecure about your fucking boyfriend."

This time I slammed him down in the sink. Making sure he got a nasty hit on his head which would have cause him to open his mouth. I shoved his hands off the edge of the sink, his body knelt to the ground as I kept his head down. He screamed below the water. I leaned next to his head.

"Oh what's that Johnny? You love swimming and want to stay in there longer? Sure thing!"

His arms were flailing everywhere. Just as I felt his body start to weaken I pulled him out. He gasped and coughed for air but before he could recover I took one of the broken mirror pieces and put it against his face.

"Where is he!" I yelled, my voice echoing off of the walls.

"Okay! I saw him rush to the emergency exit! I saw him run into an alleyway on the cameras afterwards but that's it! That's all I know! Honestly!"

I could see by the look on his face that he really did have nothing left. Anything more was just going to be bullshit. I let go of his collar. He fell to the ground face first on of the shards of glass. He screamed. I looked back to see Josh and Bjorn at the door staring with both of their one unconvered eyes wide open. I looked back at the shape Johnny was in.

_We need to find Terran now. Not just for his sake but for everyone around me. _

"Come on, lets go." I walked past my friends. I didn't know where I got the brutality but it made the few fights I got into back in elementary school look like the Three Stooges.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

_One more test. One more fucking test! _It had been hours since the terrifying scene at the club. Yet I noticed that I was able to adapt and accept rather quickly. I still couldn't wrap my head around the masked man's (whom I now called Cable) logic but his work was sure good at making me desensitized to violence. I never thought of myself as a killer. I just sat back and helped out the rest of the group. But at the end of the day, I was helping people kill people. So what did that make me? I decided to hold off on all of my Dr. Phil questions but I remembered that it wasn't the sight of death and chaos that shocked me. It was being in the death and chaos that was making my head spin.

And it was all because of the covered up psycho outside of the car. I was tied up in the back seat, unable to reach anything that would allow me to hack the door open. The guy even used the photo electric windows to blur everything so I couldn't even see where we were.

Suddenly the hatch of the vehicle opened up to reveal Cable in his uniform with a pistol pointed at me. It was becoming the status quo. He pulled out a knife and untied my restraints.

"Get out," He commanded.

I stepped out but stopped when I looked to see where we were. The tower block me and my friends lived in. I was in so much shock I didn't even notice Cable's jabs with his gun.

"Come on get a move on,"

"What are we doing here?"

"To complete your final test you dummy."

We made our way past the glass doors open and entered the lobby area, seeing the wall of mailboxes on the right and some slow-ass elevators in the middle. Cable pulled me to the left and into a maintenance hall. The building still had workers that came to fix equipment and clean some of the non-apartments up. Like most employee-only hallways the place changed from nicely detailed architecture to unpainted metal and barely lit corridors. It stayed like that until we entered the electronics area, a single elevator was located in the middle. Cable stopped me a couple feet away from it.

"So this is it?" I asked.

"Yes it is, I guarantee it."

"What do you want me to do?"

He moved away from me toward the box containing all of the electric wires. "I want you to think of all your friends." He opened the box of cables and disconnected two of them. "All the people you know. And what you would do to not lose them."

Fear was starting to rise inside me. "Why do you want me to think that?"

He reached into a holster on his left leg and pulled out an M6-Carnifix pistol. "I know that your friends upstairs are going to notice the electricity problems and will take that elevator to come down and fix it." He handed the pistol to me. "Your final test is to wait for whoever comes down that elevator, and kill him or her."

_We have just lost cabin pressure. _Hands shaking, I slowly took the pistol. "Are you kidding me? Kill one of them? Here? Now?"

"Yes."

"And if I don't?"

"I will tear every single last one of them apart."

I heard the elevator shaft make noise, the numbers on top start to drop. I swallowed painfully and looked back at Cable.

"I don't think, I can do this." I stuttered.

"Then you will fail."

The noise from the elevator stopped. The doors opened.

**Now Playing : Daft Punk - Fall (Tron : Legacy OST)**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Dear GOD! You have no idea how much of a pain it was to write this chapter. Also my mother wasn't able to beta read after I finished it since the printer was out of ink, so that delayed it further. Still, I hope it was worth it. If you're starting to miss some of the comedy portions don't worry, I'll get to that when this case is finished. I've got the main portions of the next one planned out with a very cool aspect which I hope you will all enjoy. PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. Two shout outs for you to check out (Remove Spaces) : http:/ www . fanfiction . net /s/7852373/1/Mass_Energy_One**

**http:/ www . fanfiction . net /s/7951070/1/Insert_Mass_Effect_Joke_Here : Be sure to give both of these stories some love, especially since I appear in them because I'm that fucking awesome! (I of course mean this in the nicest way possible and don't intend to come across as an ego filled douchebag). PEACE.**


	9. Chapter 9 : She Calls

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 9 : She Calls**

**(Lucas)**

**August 17th, 2182**

**6:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**Lucas' Apartment**

Evening fell over the galactic hub. The fake sunset shone through my windows as I did something I never thought I would. Downing another cold apple cider, three empties sitting on the table. The information I got from the interrogation just didn't matter. The dead cameras only gave us a half mile path before they quit. My guess was Terran and the kidnapper hopped on a skycar and left. After hours of going in circles, I finally threw in the towel. Waiting for something to come up. Except nothing did come up, for hours. Thinking about it made me grip the bottle harder, taking another big swig. I threw the bottle against the wall, glass shattering everywhere.

"Keelah!"

I turned around to find Lia standing near the door, shock in her stance.

"What is going on here?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry." I my hands up in defeat, got up from my chair and went to activate the room's robot cleaner, after which I set my arms down on the kitchen's island. Lia glanced over to the empty bottles on the table.

"You can't relax either?"

"I'd be concerned if I could." After the little bot cleaned up the mess I went and collapsed on the couch. Staring out at the city lights through the window, I saw Lia sit down and we stare at the same sight in silence..

"Lucas." She turned to me. "I'm worried."

"And you weren't before?" Forcing a humorless chuckle.

"No, I was, it's just, now I can't stop myself from imagining the worst case scenario." Her eyes narrowed. "If, if he's dead..."

"He wont be."

"You can't say that."

"I can."

"How?"

"Because if he is then who ever took him just signed himself his own death warrant."

"But, if he does come back," Lia said slowly. "I'm worried that he'd be changed. I don't know what's being done to him but if it's what I think it is it could break him." Her head hung down.

I leaned closer. "Let me tell you something about Terran." She looked up.

"Me and him became friends pretty quickly due to our similar stories. He would walk into a school and immediately be targeted as a marked man because he's different. And the only thing he needed to do to stop it was change. He never did. Because then he wouldn't be who he is. I don't care what any one else says, that's strength. He's already nearly lost everything after we left Earth and that didn't change him."

Lia seemed to calm down. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."

I was about to respond when the lights flickered before it went entirely dark for a few seconds. Suddenly the power came back on. I got up from the couch and tried to turn on the built-in hologram screen but nothing happened.

"God damn power shortage." I sighed.

Lia got up from the couch and went to my front entrance where a little power box was hidden. She opened the door and took a quick look before turning to me.

"There's nothing wrong with the supply here. It must be down below."

"And it will take some time until the repairmen come over to fix it." I said.

Lia stood up and opened my front door. "I can probably fix it,"

I ran up to the door before it closed. "I'll go with you."

"Please Lucas, I think I can handle a power breaker after living on ships for seventeen years."

"I know you can. I just need to distract myself."

She started walking while I followed. "Fair enough." She said.

The walk to the elevator went by in complete silence, knowing that if either of us got started on the again it'd never stop. I'd be lying though if I said Lia shouldn't have any fears about Terran changing. It's true that he hasn't really-in fact none of us have-but he very nearly did when we first got here. And that was when he didn't have someone dragging him everywhere at gun point. I knew that the situation was changing me. I never drank so much nor beat someone so much in my entire life. I justified it saying I needed information, that it was necessary but I had a hard time believing it myself. The other part of me said that it was brutality for brutality's sake.

Trying to find anything to distract me-no the Quarian's hips were not an option- I found myself watching the floor numbers quickly ticking down.

"Figures the maintenance workers get elevators that don't cause death by boredom." I snorted.

Lia chuckled when the elevator dinged and opened the doors. To reveal a near broken man standing with a pistol in his hand.

"Terran?" Lia and I said.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

I knew that it was going to be bad no matter what. My mind had played every scenario to it's worst end. The one that would torment me for life.

Yet somehow, this was worse.

"Terran?" They asked in unison.

I acknowledged Lucas' presence but my eyes were glued to Lia. She moved forward to get to me but Lucas stopped her. I heard the sound of foot steps behind me. I turned my head back slightly to see Cable, his gun trained on me as he chuckled.

"Oh, this is even better," he said.

"Who are you?" Lucas shouted.

"You would love to know wouldn't you? Alcatraz."

Lucas glared and stiffened as Cable hissed his alias. Cable pressed his pistol against my neck.

"Let's get on with it shall we?"

I glanced down at my pistol. "I'd rather shoot myself than kill those two." One was a friend I knew since fifth grade and the other was the woman I loved.

"I never said you have to kill them both."

It hit me. The silence was deafening. It was as if time itself had stopped. I had to make a decision I couldn't make. Drawn back into real time, I felt another jab from Cable's gun on my neck.

"Well?"

I gritted my teeth and raised my weapon. Below chest level and pointed away from Lucas and Lia.

"No, please." Begged Lia. Whether to not shoot her or Lucas I didn't know and I didn't think she did either.

"The people who survive in this world are the people with nothing to lose," Cable said next to me. "Destroy what sacrifices your freedom."

I wanted to rip out every one of Cable's bones when he gestured to Lia.

Before I entered my thoughts, Lucas took a step forward. My look asked him "Why?"

"I brought you into this mess Terran. And anyone else can easily take over for me. The same can't be said for her."

Logically, he was right. Lucas was never officially the leader; we had a team of nine people. Losing him wouldn't affect me as much as losing Lia. But I wasn't thinking logically.

"He's the one that gave you this chance to change," Cable said. "To become more than who you..."

"Fuck him Terran!" Lucas yelled. "The guy's a murderer!"

"I may agree with your goals and methods Alcatraz but don't make yourself out to be better than me."

"I only kill people when they leave me no choice."

"And you think I had a choice back at Envy? Those guys where getting paid to give brain melting drugs to youngsters while they were shaking down their families for credits. Getting rid of them was a favor to the universe."

"And what about this!" Lucas gestured.

"I'm helping this man become who he would and should be if it weren't for his little suit rat."

My teeth hurt from gritting. I tried to turn around to face Cable. He grabbed my right arm and delivered a blow to the side of my head with his left. Stunned, I felt one of his arms wrap around me. He discarded his pistol, grabbing my right hand, still holding my pistol to aim.

"You son of a bitch!" I hissed.

Cable growled in my ear. "I'm really starting to lose my patience Trojan. So get this over with. You either choose or I will choose for you."

"Let go of him!" Shouted Lia.

"Shut up!" Yelled Cable.

I was trying to moving anything I had; arm, leg, head. Everything I had was restrained by the masked mad man. The only thing that wasn't was my finger on the trigger. I looked at Lia, her eyes shining like stars through her helmet. In all the time I knew her, I still hadn't seen her face, or felt her lips on mine, or her fingers intertwined with mine ungloved.

"Terran," Lucas said.

My eyes drifted towards his.

"I'm sorry."

I heard a bang, felt pain shooting through my chest. My back crashed onto Cable's chest, the last thing I felt before everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

After firing the first shot at Terran's chest I quickly switched the ammo type to compensate for the masked man's suit. My P99 pistol's lights turned blue indicating Disruptor-ammo-activated. Terran's body slid down the masked man. I took the chance and pumped six rounds into the guy's chest. The covered up Turian staggered back in pain until he landed on his back, blue blood oozing onto the floor. The pistol landed near him and I went over to kick it away, keeping my gun trained on him.

After knowing we were safe, I muzzled the pistol and turned to the friend I'd shot.

"Terran!" Yelled Lia. Running over and sliding down next to him. She grabbed him. Her face hovered over his.

"Stay with me! Please! Don't go!" She sobbed. Looking at his closed eyes.

His chest did not rise.

**Now Playing : Clinton Shorter - She Calls (District 9 OST)**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Did I ever tell you how satisfying it is to leave people on cliff hangers after getting so furious at them? Well, IT'S REALLY FUCKING SATISFYING! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!<strong>

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There will be another one soon to explain the aftermath and showcase the fate of TWB's hacker and friend. PEACE.**


	10. Chapter 10 : Where We Meet

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 10 : Where We Meet**

**August 18th, 2182**

**6:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

It had been a day since the encounter. After I shot him the rest of the team showed up. They dragged his body into the elevator and over to the small medical bay in the corner of the Base. He was badly injured. Badly enough for him to remain there, tied up, not moving, eyes shut, surrounded by three of his close friends.

"Now!" Paul hissed.

Bjorn, Paul and Shea all took the comforters from the couch they were holding and started slamming them in Terran's face. He held his arm up and kept his eyes shut, trying to lean out of the way but instead fell onto the floor. Paul stepped away from Terran and backed into a tray of syringes, knocking them to the floor along with a loud metal racket.

"Oh good job you fuckers!" Phil yelled from the other side of the room.

I was laughing from the top of the shuttle, trying to stop myself from coughing up my non alcoholic cider. Paul, Bjorn and Shea had let off the pillow wake-up assault we used back home at hang outs. Phil told Paul to go clean up the mess as he helped Terran to his feet.

"You okay?" Phil asked.

Terran didn't answer and instead looked at me. "You know, you could have told me how much a concussion round still hurts!" Emphasizing the last few words.

"Well time wasn't exactly on my side," I argued. Jumping off the shuttle.

He sighed as the others let him be. Phil went back to yelling at Paul while Bjorn and Shea went to the Armory. I tossed a long-sleeved shirt over to Terran who caught it with an eyebrow raised.

"I would rather talk when your not looking like Ethan Mars from Heavy Rain," I said.

He did after all. Covered in bandaging rapped around his chest, which was also where I shot him. He shrugged and put the shirt on. I walked over to the window facing the view of the city and he followed.

"So, what happened?" He asked.

"Well after I shot you, the others got you to the med-bay and addressed any injuries. How are you feeling?"

"Uh, fine I guess. My chest still kind of hurts from the concussion round. How you dealt with actually being shot is beyond me."

I chuckled at his small poke about last year. "Anyway, once Phil confirmed you were alright and didn't find any serious injuries we started to backtrack your whereabouts. Kasumi was able to get all of the tracking information from the aircar parked outside."

"So you found where Cable was holding me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Cable?"

Terran's face had a look of "Oh, right".

"The person that captured me. When I was at Envy he wanted me to pose as a contract killer named 'Cable'. After seeing what he did at the club I just started to think of him as that."

"You as a contract killer?" I snorted.

"Hey, I was walking through those doors expecting to die. Whatever how many doubts you have about it, I had about five times more."

I chuckled again before he looked at me.

"Did that Johnny guy get out?"

"He did."

"God, I wanted to punch the crap out of that guy after just hearing him speak."

"Yeah. Right." I really didn't want to discuss what I did to that bastard.

"I'm guessing you found a dead Batarian when you got there?"

"Well, yes and no." I smiled. Terran only gave a confused look in response. "The Batarian was a dud. The guy used some tech similar to the Hanar case I did back at C-Sec to make the dummy."

Terran's face only looked more confused. "And the building explosion?"

"Was just bullshit as well. It used some footage taken from other companies and the one you supposedly hacked into was fake."

Terran's eyes darted as his voiced cracked. He kept opening his mouth to say something but came up with nothing, until he finally said, "Why?"

I laid it all on him what happened the day before.

_Lia helped Terran into the elevator with Phil and Shea. Her boyfriend had coughed when she was starting to lose hope. I had hit him with a non-lethal shot but he went unconscious soon after. I was still in the maintenance area while a few of the others went to the main elevator. I walked around when my eyes drifted upon my friend's kidnapper; a bulky Turian covered from head to toe in battle armor. His breathing slowed as more and more blood escaped him from the holes in his body. I walked towards him and knelt down._

"_What do you want?" I asked._

"_You would just love to know wouldn't you Alcatraz?" He laughed._

_I gritted my teeth as he started to speak normally again. "I can't believe, that after all you have done, after all you want and are willing to do, you still keep someone on board, who has something to lose."_

"_You don't know anything about how much any of us have lost." I growled. "How much more until it's enough?"_

_He looked up at the ceiling. I could tell even with the helmet that he was smirking. He looked at me. "Until there's nothing left."_

_My mind was going through all the ways I could kill him. I raised my pistol to his head before he pulled out a button from his right hand. _

"_Remember," he said. "I was only trying to help him." He hit the button. I heard an foreign sound when I saw that his feet started to vaporize. I backed up and saw that it trailed all the way up to his head until there was nothing but dust on the floor. My jaw hung open as I stood, trying to comprehend what just happened._

There was an agonizing silence from Terran until he snorted humorlessly and looked back at the view of the city.

"This was his way of helping me huh? When does it end?"

"When does what end?"

"When do people let me be? When can people just accept who I am and move on? Not fucking kidnap me and then try to get me to shoot my girlfriend because I have to lose 'Until there's nothing left'." He air quoted.

"Why are you even asking that?" I furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"You're a part of a team of vigilantes that accept you. You were part of a police force that accepted you. You have people like me who accept you for who you are, since we were reading 5th grade text books."

I got a heavy sigh in return. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

I smiled and was going to remind him of something else when his facial expression changed to concern.

"Where's Lia?"

"She's back at your apartment. It took me ages to convince her to leave your side and get some sleep."

He smiled at that and proceeded to head out of the base. When he approached the door he turned around.

"Hey Lucas."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for...for shooting me."

"What are friends for?" I shrugged.

He chuckled and walked into the floor's main hall. I really had to curb the urge to bug him but I figured it would be better to let him find out for himself.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

I've done a lot of things I never thought I would do after I arrived in this universe. Thanking a friend for shooting me with a non lethal-but still really painful-round easily fits the list. Another would be seeing a girlfriend after being kidnapped and almost pointing a gun at her a day ago. I didn't know if she was going to be happy, relived or angry. I thought it would best to just face the music. I entered the code for my apartment and the door opened. I stepped in to see the evening sky shining through the windows, a hooded head on the couch bathed in the light.

"Lia, it's me." Obviously since only I could enter the code. She sat, not turning. I was starting to get worried. "Are, are you okay?" She remained silent. "Look, I, I know that, you must have been terrified. Just as much as I was but, I..."

I heard a hiss. Her right hand took away the mask. _Oh no, she can't..._

She got up from the couch and turned around to show her face. Her light blue/turquoise skin, pale from being trapped in the suit. Her black hair tucked in the back but still visible and her magnifying white eyes in full detail. All enhanced by the sunset light rays reflecting off her. She was beautiful.

"Surprise." She smiled nervously with her unaltered voice, walking towards me.

I swallowed. "I, but, but your immune system..."

"It's okay." She hushed me. "I took some antibiotics and herbs, along with a sterilizer that I installed in the apartment. Basically everything a Quarian can do to get out of these suits without dying from exposure."

"So, so you, you can be, out of the suit?"

"It won't last forever, about half a day. But I wanted to..." She stopped as she took my hands and moved closer to me. I moved my arms to wrap around her body. Her face was inches from mine. We started into each other's eyes. Not being used to her face being seen, she was clearly feeling vulnerable.

"Wanted to?" I urged her.

She put her hands behind my neck and breathed before speaking. "I wanted to be with you." She inched closer. "I wasn't myself when you were gone and I never want go through that again. I just want to be able to get what I've always wanted." Our noses rubbed. She closed her eyes and kissed me. I embraced and returned it. It started out slow and gentle but became more fevered as time began to slip away. She began to pull me over to our room, not breaking the contact for a moment.

It was a very long night...

**Now Playing : Tyrone Wells - Where We Meet**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Let me just say something quickly. If you thought there was going to be a sex scene between Terran and Lia when the story is rated T, then you are the dumbest human being on the planet. Congratulations *Fake Claps*. You also have to remember that I actually know these friends in real life, so forgive me if writing a scene like that would be more than a little awkward...and creepy. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the case and didn't mind the more dramatic tone that it took. The next case wont be as serious, I promise. Speaking of which, I am SUPER excited for the next one due to it having a very cool spin. I don't want to give too much away but lets just say it involves more than just The Wild Bunch. Not wanting to say anything more then that, I think it's time to leave. PEACE!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11 : Shapeshifter

**Authors Note : I'm happy to introduce the chapter that I've been anticipating for some time and in turn, is also the longest one yet. I should also mention that you should have, Rob Zombie - Dragula (Hot Red Herman Remix) ready for when the chase scene kicks in. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 11 : Shapeshifter**

**August 19th, 2182**

**7:20 AM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

Things were finally starting to calm down around the apartments. Though it wasn't going to last long since soon we'd return to hunting down assholes. I was indulging in a little R&R with a cup of tea and reading the news on a my Omni-tool. Specifically, reviews on "Mass Affect" which I was finally able to get out. Probably the first time I was able to say "Based on a true story". Except I had to remove the bits about transporting universes and the mystery man and the easy recruitment and...well I had to remove a bunch of stuff. Regardless, most people seemed to enjoy it despite it's faults. All I had done before was video game reviews and frankly-not to brag-those were becoming as natural to write as breathing.

_Shit, now I'm thinking about back home again. _It wasn't easy but I was getting better at zoning those thoughts out. Not sure whether that's good or sad. Maybe both. Terran entered the Base and sat next to me with a bored look.

"Morning," He said flatly.

_Oh, I get it. _"It's okay Terran. You don't need to pretend to be in a bad mood for my sake." I smirked.

"Why should I be in a good mood?" Asked Terran. "I mean, I got kidnapped only two days ago by someone that made me try to kill my friends," He said like a sope opera character.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with sleeping with your girlfriend."

"But, I...always sleep with my girlfriend. I mean, we live together." He said slowly.

"Without a suit." I said bluntly.

Terran tried to hide his shock. "You think, that I slept with Lia?"

"Mmhmm." I nodded.

"Without a suit?"

"Mmhmm."

"So that we could..."

"Mmhmm."

"How did you know?" He leaned in whispering, looking terrified.

"Well aside from," I reached pulled a long black hair off his shirt. "That, I also found Lia carrying a couple boxes labeled 'Immuno Boosters'."

Terran still looked terrified. I furrowed when I knew what he was scared of. "And to answer the question you're not asking very loudly, no I wasn't spying on you two."

He let out a breath and looked relieved. I got up from my chair and leaned in close to his ear.

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

"That's what Kasumi's for," Lucas whispered and left with a big smirk on his face.

My breathing stopped. I turned around to see Kasumi at the armory. She pulled out a scope and started to peer through it, scanning the room until she spotted me. She smirked and mockingly waved at me.

I turned away. _And to think Josh has a crush on her. Hell, she probably knows more about it than he does._

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

**March 16th, 2183**

**10:30 AM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6**

"So what happened after this 'Cable' was dead?" Anderson asked.

"We got back to business. We'd go and search for bad guys, we'd find a bad guy, we'd bust in and either kill the bad guy or if the option was available, leave him for C-Sec to find." I said.

Anderson nodded and looked at his datapad. "It says here that around the end of August you caused a stir at a nightclub?"

"There were a lot of stirs around that time frame. One of our friends had been kidnapped by an anonymous psychopath and we ran into two different teams of people. That nightclub was where we met the first."

* * *

><p><strong>August 26th, 2182<strong>

**6:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

The latest team consisted of Josh, Kasumi, Shakiel, Phil, myself and Paul as the driver. I navigated the holographic screen until all the information was displayed.

"Alright. So the person on our radar is this man, Bruce Tanner. CEO of a successful computing company by day, weapons dealer, rapist and all around piece of shit by night. However, Bruce also has a brother, Bryce Tanner. Now Bryce possesses the same qualitys as Bruce. Except CEO is replaced with Vice-president and drug addict instead of rapist. The catch is that Bryce wants out of the weapons business, which according to text exchanges Terran retrieved, Bruce isn't pleased about."

"So what do we do?" Shakiel asked.

"Bryce has information that will link Bruce to the weapons smuggling and the minute C-Sec get their hands on that, this guy," I pointed at Bruce's face on the screen, "is history. So we'll go to Bryce, get the information from him and in exchange, let him go."

"And what if Bryce is lying to us and just takes over everything for himself?" Josh asked.

"Because then we'll find him again and kill him." I shrugged.

"Okay, sounds good. Where do we find Bryce?"

"The man has an office in this building." I tapped the screen displaying a 3D view of the tower. "Located in the highrise and popular areas of Zakera. The building also contains a nightclub on the bottom floor, which he owns. Now since he has an office he will sometimes have people go up to meet him there."

"Hold up. The guy works for a computing company, so wouldn't he have lots of security?" Paul asked.

"I'm glad you mentioned that, because Kasumi did a scouting of the place just yesterday."

Kasumi walked up to the board. I moved out of the way.

"Bryce's office contains a front door that is bulletproof, a foot thick and can hold off military grade explosives."

"So we would need to hack it then?" Phil asked.

"Hacking it is possible but the security is so advanced it could keep someone like me out of the system for hours." She sounded impressed.

"So we'd need a key," I said.

"Yes, however there's only two keys. One on Bryce and the other on one of the four highest ranking guards on the ground floor. Which never remains on the same person for more than a day."

"So how are we going to get the key without anyone being noticed?" Shakiel asked.

"That's where this gets fun." Kasumi smiled. "Everyone except Wash will go into the night club dressed in their casual wear. Meanwhile Lucas will go inside posing as a DJ for the club."

"Why do you we need that?"

"Because he'll be overlooking the whole club. Making our job of finding the security guards easier."

"Which then after we get the key, the mission should boil down to we shoot all the motherfuckers inside right?" Phil asked.

"More or less yeah." I shrugged. "We'll get the information off of Bryce and leave.

"Well then let's get this over with." Paul said, walking over to the shuttle.

Everyone else left to go pack up their gear, though Josh took longer to figure out the meeting was over. Everyone else gathered around me at the armory.

"You notice how he didn't say a word after you were done?" Paul said, snickering.

"Probably has something to do with the hooded thief in a skin tight outfit he has a crush on having her back to him." Phil deadpanned.

"Do you think she knows?" Shakiel asked.

"Dude, everybody knows, how can't she?"

"Hey what are you guys talking about?" Josh asked.

"Nothing."

* * *

><p>It pretty much stayed silent until Paul set down the shuttle just outside the club. Stepping out I spotted the long blue light stair case with a sign overhead saying "Players". <em>Will there ever be a club in this place that has an original name? <em>I sighed and waited for the rest of the group to step out. Phil was the last one to emurge before telling Paul to head to one of the neighboring buildings to stakeout.

"You made sure our equipment is ready right?" Josh asked Kasumi.

"Bryce uses this place for storage all the time. All we have to do is get our things when we have the key." She said confidently.

"Alright. As soon as I start the music we'll be on our way," I said.

Everyone nodded and proceeded to head up the stairs, spreading out, I entered the club last. Instead of being dark with violent colors and Asari strippers everywhere, "Players" was more like Flux in that it opted for a softer Blue and Green look. With the only dancers being the people who had a little too much to drink at the bar to the right. Unlike Flux however, this place was fucking packed. The dance floor looked more like the kind of thing you would see in a live concert rather then a simple club. I spotted the DJ's deck up top overlooking the club. I made my way to the right side of the club and found the stairs. Soon I was standing in front of the deck.

Like a lot of things in this universe, the layout used holograms instead of hardware, excluding a slot for OSD's. I could have left everything alone since all I really had to do was spot the guards but the music was driving me mad. I opened up my Omni-tool and scrolled through my albums folder, grinning when I got to _Tron Legacy Soundtrack Reconfigured. _I clicked it and selected track four.

**Now Playing : Daft Punk - Adagio for Tron (Teddybears Remix)**

"Alright, let the games begin." I announced into my communicator.

The club lights started flashing in time with the song's introduction, along with the fake fog flowing around people's feet. The guests became more excited as the song built up. Just when the song entered the drop the lights started to dance around more quickly, along with the people on the floor. I looked around for any guards that stood out when I found one of interest.

"I spy with my little eye a human target sighted at the entrance next to the group of five humans that just entered."

"Got it," Kasumi said.

* * *

><p><strong>(Kasumi)<strong>

I made a quick dash to the bar. Spotting two flirting Turians looking like they were hitting it off, allowing me to steal one of their drinks when they weren't paying attention. With the glass in hand I had the guard in my sights again. At the corner of my eye I could see a small group of humans walking past, one of them looking at me directly before quickly turning away again. _Maybe it's the hood. _Shrugging that off I walked over to the guard and got ready, purposely bumping into him and spilling the drink all over the front of his suit. I made a fake gasp at the sight, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry!" I slurred.

"You better watch where you're going Sweetheart," The guard said, buying my typical drunk girl impression. He was about to walk away when I stopped him.

"Oh no, please. I'm sure I can help if we get away from here." I gestured to the bathrooms. I pulled him towards one when I also saw he had smile on his face. I mentally sighed when I remembered how I phrased that sentence. _Men. _I opened the door and found the place empty. He stepped ahead of me towards the sink.

"Again, I'm so sorry," I said.

"No it's okay, in fact maybe you could..."

I spun and landed my roundhouse kick right on his head, lifting him off the ground. He flew into one of the bathroom stalls head first. I smiled and wiped the suit with my hands as if the man's stench had somehow tainted my outfit.

"Another boggy heading to the wash," Lucas said over the comm.

I quickly moved to the door and put my back on the wall next to the entrance. Sure enough it opened with a Turian walking inside, not noticing my presence. I inched forward when he looked to his right and saw his fellow guard down in one of the stalls.

"What the fuck..."

I delivered a fast and hard punch to the back of his head causing him to drop to his knees and fall into the same stall onto his face. Now two bodies laid on top of each other. I was about to search them when I heard some conversation behind the washroom entrance. I listened intently, recognizing one of them as Shakiel's. I ran back and took cover from the same place as before. Shakiel entered holding a metal dish as a seven foot tall bald human followed him.

"God, I am so sorry!" He said, grasping the dish in his right hand. "It's times like these you can really underestimate the element of surprise!" He spun around and hit the giant in the face with the metal sheet, a deafening bang echoing across the walls.

Just in time for the giant to turn his head around and look at Shakiel.

I leaned to my right to look at Shak. "Really?"

"What else was I supposed to do? Throw my shoes at him?" He loudly argued.

"It probably would have been just as effective."

"Okay you know what? I can safely say that..."

The giant growled at him.

"Oh, right," Shakiel said.

I kicked the man's left knee from behind while Shakiel did the same to the man's other shin. The giant yelled and fell to his knees, allowing me to deliver the final blow to his head.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I gave Phil the location of the fourth and final guard as I kept the party-goers distracted with my tunes. My eyes drifted upon the front entrance again, specifically a blonde guy leading a girl inside. _Shit, shit, shit! _In a panic I moved away from the DJ deck and took cover in the pitch black corner of the stage.

"Uh, guys. We've got a problem," I said into the communicator.

"What?" Kasumi asked.

I leaned around the corner to confirm my sighting. "Ian-fucking-Shaw and his girlfriend just entered the club."

"That young C-Sec detective?"

"Yes and if I go back onstage I think he'll have some questions as to why I suddenly felt the need to play music in a stupid nightclub."

"Maybe he's just on duty," Shakiel suggested.

I didn't need to see everyone to know they were probably rolling their eyes.

"Dude."

"What?"

"Just look at them." I sighed.

The bathroom entrance opened to show Shak peeking around the corner to look. Ian was standing with a brand new black long-sleeved shirt and suit pants. Odd seeing as how every time I ran into him he was wearing jeans. Wrapped around his arm was Rebecca wearing a short and tight but elegant dress, beautifully displaying her body. _I really hope Josh still doesn't have a crush on her too._

"Oh," Was all I got from Shak in response.

"Josh?"

"What?" He asked.

"I need you to go over and distract them while I add a playlist to keep the club going."

"Wait, why me?"

"Because you're the closest one. Now hurry up, the song is going to end soon."

"God damn it." He sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

I grabbed another drink from the bar. The two C-Sec employees were in the middle of the club and of course got a perfect view of the DJ stage overhead. All I could do was make them face the other way and hope for the best. I caught up to them.

"Ian! Rebecca!"

They turned around. "Josh?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ian asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said.

"I asked first."

I could see Lucas in the background moving to the stage. _Just keep 'em distracted. _"Oh you know, work's been getting kind of hectic recently. Thought I would try and relax when I had the chance." From the look of understanding I guessed they bought it. "What about you two?"

"Eh, basically the same," Rebecca replied. "It's been quite some time since we went out so Ian made the suggestion that we try here. It's certainly a nice change from Chora's Den."

"I never would have figured you for the type to go to a club like this Ian."

"Well it has been a long time since I've been to one like this." Ian replied.

"How long?"

"A hundred and seventy two years."

I chuckled. _Couldn't just say forever could he? _I saw Lucas exiting the stage.

"Well I'll leave you two alone. Have fun!"

"You too!"

* * *

><p><strong>(Ian)<strong>

I called out as Josh walked away and disappeared into the crowd that slowed down as one of the songs ended. I turned to Rebecca when I remembered something.

"You notice how he wasn't checking you out at all?"

"Yeah, kind of weird. Maybe he finally found someone?" She shrugged.

"Maybe."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I got off the stage and stayed in the shadowed sidelines of the club. "Guys, please tell me you got the key?" I said into the comm.

"We got it; it was on last guard of course," Phil said.

"All we have to do is get our gear from the storage area and head to Bryce's office," Kasumi said.

"Okay, we'll all meet there. I've had enough of this joint."

* * *

><p><strong>(Ian)<strong>

I was enjoying the tasty drink in my hand, the music, the place's energy and watching Rebecca enjoy herself. Yet for some reason I still couldn't get rid of this nagging feeling that there was something wrong in this place. Sometimes I really wished I didn't pick up any of my senses from being a Detective.

"What's with the serious look Sherlock?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know, I just can't help but notice the lack of guards in this place."

"Oh, please. You don't need to start getting paranoid like those officers looking for The Wild Bunch."

"I know, it's just," I sighed. "I'm going to the wash, I'll be right back." I got off the bar stool and moved through the crowd. The door hissed open and I stepped inside, heading to the sink, immediately splashing water onto my tired looking face. _Rebecca's right, I am starting to act like those officers looking for Alcatraz and the gang. _I still rememberd the day when I first saw them on the news.I thought I was hallucinating until Rebecca walked in and saw it too. A group of people suddenly coming over to save the city was weird enough but the fact that a bunch of them looked like video game characters was what freaked me out. Not just that but all of them were from my time. Though I didn't remember Master Chief becoming Batman while painting himself as red and white as the Canadian flag.

When I turned the sink off I noticed something. The bathroom stall behind me had its door slightly open along with what looked like more than two feet on the ground. I walked over and cautiously opened the door, to find four men lying on top of each other, all security guards.

"What the fuck?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

There were many times when I enjoyed using this suit. It looked fucking cool, it had a reputation and I could act totally badass with it. Though, it isn't very enjoyable when your panting after running sixty floors of stairs. Not that it was my fault.

"Fuck you Alcatraz!" Phil shouted.

"What?"

"Did you really forget how tall this building is?"

"The elevator probably would have taken just as long."

"Yeah, except the elevator doesn't require me to use my legs until they fall off!"

"Will two shut up?" Josh said. "We're here."

The floor finally evened out letting me breath in relief. Kasumi took point towards the door with the key card ready. Somehow she looked exactly the same as she did when we were on the ground. I swore that she was made out of rubber and magic. That or she ate like a triathlete when nobody was looking. She put the key card in front of the door's scanner which made it's door's hologram turn from red to green. Me, Shakiel and Phil took cover on the left side while Josh and Kasumi took cover on the right.

I pulled out my trusty Battle Rifle and nodded. Kasumi punched the hologram and we entered the building. Ready to face the guards who were about to have a very bad day. And a bad day did they ever have, because they were all day before we even showed up. The walls were covered in bullet holes and the floor was stained in mixes of red and blue blood.

"What the fuck happened here?" Shakiel asked quietly.

We moved up from the entrance and to enter the main office. We stepped in to find a group of five armed and armored humans looking at us. The only deceased person was a man in a white business shirt, whos face matched the images of Bryce Tanner. The human farthest away from us was holding an object the size of a disc which only could have been the information we were looking for.

While a pin drop would have been appropriately deafening, the gunshot from the other group was just as effective. I dove left into the floor, taking cover behind one of the decoration pillars that was now spreading little crumbs of debris in every direction. My teammates were doing the same on the right side of the room. I peeked around to see the other man holding the coveted information shoot a window and jump out of the office.

"That son of a bitch is getting away!" I yelled into the comms. "I'll go after him but I need you guys to give me some covering fire!"

"What about the people shooting us?" Josh yelled back.

"Keep them alive if you can and put them in the shuttle!"

"What! Why?"

"I want to know who the fuck these people are and you can't get information out of a corpse!"

"Fine! Just get ready!"

I swapped my BR for the pistol and changed my stance to get ready.

"Three, two, one!"

* * *

><p><strong>(Ian)<strong>

**Shortly Before**

I rushed out of the washroom and pushed my way through the crowd to get back to the bar. Rebecca turned around due to the noise I was making.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Rebecca, I need you to get C-Sec down here right away."

"What, why?"

"Because I just found four security guards knocked out in the bathroom. There's something going on here."

She looked befuddled but quickly got back into line, opening up her Omni-tool and speed dialing the Academy. I went to go through the crowd again when she grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to head to the higher floors to see if there's anything going on."

"Okay, just be careful."

I nodded and she let me go. The people I pushed through before gave me dirty looks. I just held up my C-Sec badge in response, causing them to move to the side and give me an unblocked path. I got to the hallway, made it to the elevator and punched the key for the highest floor I could access, level 59. Sixty was the owner's office and needed some sort of key to enter. To my surprise the elevator door opened to reveal the floor I selected. _Wow, an elevator on the Citadel that isn't slow as shit. _I walked out and entered a lobby fronting an office full of cubicle desks. The place was empty. I was about to leave when I heard muffled gunshots up top. In reflex I pulled out my pistol. The sounds upstairs didn't seem to let up. I could also hear shouts coming from both the front and back of the upper office.

I then heard the distinct sound of glass shattering. Looking outside I saw a man that looked like an Alliance member landing on the building next door, it's roof the same height as the floor I was on. The man glowed purple and slowed down when he got to the ground before running off at full speed. I was about to yell when I saw another being land on the roof, having a much harder landing before getting back up on his feet and running the same direction as the other human. He was also wearing red and white spartan armor.

_Son of a bitch._

I shot the window until it shattered and ran as fast as I could before leaping onto the neighboring rooftop.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

_Well, that wasn't the most dignified landing. How the hell did the other guy land without a fuss? _I quickly shrugged those thoughts off as I got back to my feet and went to chase after the man running off with the Intel. After a few seconds I heard shots behind me. I looked while running to see a familiar blonde haired Englishman leaping across the roof and running after me.

_Oh fuck me sideways!  
><em>

Looking ahead, comprehending that I was in a three way chase, I spotted a gigantic generator on the roof but the man ahead kept running towards it. Just to glow purple and leap over the 10-15 foot object. _Of course he's also a goddamn biotic! _Running around the generator he leaped to the neighboring building. I went to duplicate his action as he quickly turned around and threw a purple glowing object that landed a few feet away.

_Oh you have got to be shitting me!_

The grenade exploded. It didn't do damage beyond my shields but the explosion and biotic boost lifted me off my feet. I was flying through the gap between the buildings. Seeing that I wasn't going to make it. I reached my arms out and felt my hands grasp the ledge of the building. I sighed, only for relief to disappear when I looked down.

_I fucking hate heights!_

I heard some feet contact the roof above me and spotted Ian trying to reach over the edge and grab me. I took my pistol out, hanging thousands of feet in the air on five fingers when I shot the window in front of me, kicking the glass to shatter it as I leaped inside.

"Fuck!" Ian yelled from above.

Pistol in hand, I bust open a door in the dark, dark office space. I ran forward when I spotted the glass on the other side of the pathway leading to another roof top. Shooting the glass again I lept from the office space and landed on the roof with no problems, the unknown human biotic still running off. I heard another crush of feet hitting the ground behind me, indicating that Ian was still in hot pursuit. Continuing to run forward I saw that the building's roof was about to become slanted, angled in glass going down for at least twenty stories. The man ahead showed no signs of stopping. _No way! _He changed his stance until he was sliding down the roof, descending the heights on his back. I stopped at the edge, getting a full view. _This is a bad idea! _I breathed and lept forward, sliding down the glass.

You know that scene in "Who Am I?" when Jackie Chan slides down the twenty-story building and you thought "Hey, that actually looks fun!" Well let me tell you, it's not! It's-shit-your-pants scary! The wind gushing past me along with the sounds of my armor sliding down the glass was terrifying. While everything was flying by so quickly I noticed the next big tower block. The man in front of me had lept from the edge of the angled glass roof and crashed through the glass window in the other building. I could see that he covered himself in a biotic field and immediately went back to running at full speed. I prepared to jump from the edge, timing was crucial. One missrf alignment and I would be paste when I hit the ground. The edge came up and I put all my energy into my legs as I jumped from the end of the roof. I could see myself getting closer to the mystery mans landing spot, but I could feel myself falling. I landed in the building, the alignment being a tad off, enough to have me rolling out of control until I crashed into a cubicle desk. I was breathing heavily and groaning from the pain in my body that was everywhere. Looking outside I could see Ian standing on top of the neighbouring building, just at the edge before it became slanted, reminding me that I was also in pursuit of someone. The adrenaline returned and soon I was up and about. The mystery man went to the stairwell and therefore so did I. I noticed that the number next to the door was labeled "32".

The space had hundreds of steps spiraling down. I could see my victim a floor below me. Knowing that I was never going to catch up by conventional means I pulled out my BR and started laying down suppressing fire on him. He stopped running and took cover behind one of the chest high rails. I slowly started to move down the stairs, keeping my rifle trained on his location. He popped out of cover. I fired two three shot bursts but his barriers stopped them. I saw what he was doing. He was falling down them middle of the staircases, with nothing to stop him but a solid floor thirty floors below. For what felt like the billionth time, he glowed purple, slowing down until he came to a smooth landing on the ground. I watched in amazement before he walked away. I could tell that move had really worn him down since he was breathing heavily and moving as slow as a slug. But that didn't stop him from looking back up and flipping me the bird as he walked out.

Before I could curse, I heared the sirens from outside much more clearly. Snapping my head back I rushed into one of the doors and looked out the window. There were three police cars on the ground, more on their way.

"That stupid fucking Limey!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. _Ian must have called for more back up when I slid down the roof. _

I opened up the comm channels again. "Wash, please tell me you're close by."

"We're just approaching your location. We can pick you up on the roof but you'll have to make it quick. C-Sec is swarming this place."

"No, approach my exact location on the side of the building. I've got an idea." _Another bad one._

"Okay..."

As another cop car parked below I could see Wash approaching in our armor platted shuttle. This only got C-Sec's attention more.

"ALCATRAZ," announced an officer on the loud speaker. "WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!"

The shuttle was right in front of me. Before anyone inside could open the door I shot the building's window, creating an opening before I jumped out and grabbed the side of the shuttle and hung by my two hands.

"Drop me off on the ground floor. I don't want that son of a bitch getting away!" I yelled. Paul moved the shuttle down as I scanned for any slow moving specks.

"ALCATRAZ! PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD OR WE WILL FIRE!"

_Oh yeah! I'll put my hands on my head as I'm falling down thirty stories you fucking prick! _I spotted the human below, ignored by the police as I was getting all the head turns. I was just as terrified as I was on the glass roof but thankfully the ground was starting to come closer and closer until I was about 20-30 feet from the ground. I got ready to drop down when my target came in sight. I let go from the shuttle and flew down until I had landed on the anonymous human. He still kept his grip on the Intel I was chasing. He turned on his back but I delivered a hard blow to his head making him stagger back. I grabbed the Intel from his hand and dragged him to his feet.

"You're coming with me you..." Turning around, I spotted five cop cars and platoons of officers, all armed to the teeth. "Oh second thought fuck that."

I shoved him aside and ran as fast as I could. Paul had the shuttle hovering on the ground in front of me as the door opened with Shakiel waving me over.

"Come on!" He shouted.

I jumped and landed in the shuttle, turning around and looking at the officers on the ground. I couldn't help but put an L shape above my head with a hand to gloat.

"OPEN FIRE!"

_Oh shit! _I closed the door just in time to hear rounds contact the side of the shuttle as Paul flew away to get us away from the heat. My adrenaline finally wore off and I collapsed on one of the back seats of the shuttle. When I did I got a view of four humans in military like armor, however their faces were uncovered this time, revealing two woman and two men.

"I see you guys got our first prisoners." I said to our team.

"Yep, though they're defiantly not amateurs," Josh said.

"Yeah, I'd watch out for those two the most," Phil gestured to the two woman. "I had to practically dump my medi-gel supply on the Rookie after he fought one of them."

"I told you I didn't need it!" Shakiel argued.

"Please, you looked like Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs."

I shook my head and got up to see if I could get any info on this group. I reached one for one of the guy's Omni-tool when his confused face turn angry and he tried to turn against me. I pulled my pistol out and put it against his neck, making him stop his movements.

"Hey! You're a big man but you're in bad shape. For me this is a full time job, now behave yourself."

This seemed to confuse the man more, allowing me take the Omni-tool off him without a fuss. _I guess 1970s films don't get much attention these days. _I opened the holographic display up and scrolled through, going to Contacts.

"So who are you?" I questioned them all.

"No one." The man with an American accent replied.

I looked at the contact info seeing a group called "Charon". I clicked it. It contained five names, one of them highlighted meaning it was the name of the Omni-tool's owner, or in this case, Scott Miller.

"Charon, a private mercenary group run by five people that include Scott Miller, Jessica Pierce, Elizabeth Morely, Frank Grimes and Alexander Dawson," I voiced aloud, smirking when I saw the looks on their faces. "Your statement rings hollow." I looked at the American. "So, who was the person trying to get away with this?" I asked, holding up the Intel. They remained silent. I sighed. "Wash, take us to 973, Zakera Ward."

"We'll be there in 15." He said.

I hit Call over the name "Alexander Dawson", observing that no one else's Omni-tool rang. I walked back to "Scott" and pointed the pistol at him again. "Tell him to meet us there. You give one warning and I'm gonna..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill." He sighed. The Omni-tool's ringing ceased.

"Scott?"

"Yeah it's me."

Alex on the other line sounded tired. "Where the hell are you?"

"Uh, we're in a safe zone away from the feds, what about you?"

"I lost the damn Intel. That Spartan look-alike from the The Wild Bunch caught up to me and stole the Intel."

I winced as he mentioned Spartan. _Don't tell me that Halo is still around. _

"Well, me and the others are heading to 973, Zakera. Can you meet us there?"

"Yeah, sure. I don't think Bruce is going to be pleased with the outcome."

I tilted my head my head to Scott, letting him know to end this.

"Alright we'll see you there. Bye."

"See ya."

I hit End Call on the Omni-tool, now knowing why they were there.

_Bruce is gonna pay._

**Now Playing - Celldweller - Shapeshifter (feat. Styles of Beyond) [Blue Stahli Remix]**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Club music, cops, chase scenes, biotics, guns, Kasumi kicking ass and a crossover with Mass &amp; Energy? JEZUS! So as you can guess, my characters meet up with the recently established squad known as "Charon" in Empeorie's (So You're In A Self Insert?) own fanfiction story. This wont be a permanent thing and they will only appear in this case so enjoy it while it lasts. Whoa Heavy mentioned that we should do a crossover sometime and shortly after that Emp came to me and said lets do it. Within a few days I had a case planned out that will be seen through both perspectives. TWB in MA2 and Charon in M&amp;E. So be sure to look out for CH9 of M&amp;E when it comes. I think it's safe to say that if you haven't read Emp's stuff then you should...NAO! <strong>

**With that said, I think I'm off to bed since it's 1:48 AM at the time I'm writing this, PEACE.**


	12. Chapter 12 : Syndicate

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 12 : Syndicate**

**August 26th, 2182**

**8:00 PM, Citadel Time**

**900 Blocks, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

Escaping the Feds only took a few moments. Not only was our vehicle a shuttle that could carry a full squad, it was also armor plated and modified to be as fast as an X3M racer. Paul proved he could handle flying that kind of power a year ago when we were chasing Olin Sarrus back at C-Sec. With that, there was no way a factory tuned police car could keep up.

Now we were on the roof of building 973. Apparently the 900 blocks used to contain tower blocks of businesses but due to a marketing crash they were all dispersed. Now the 900's are a ghost town. The crime rate is high but it's usually petty stuff like pickpockets or vagrancy. I had never visited the area during my time as a cop and neither did anybody else. In English, this was the ghetto of Zakera.

Our four guests were also on the roof, still handcuffed, unmasked and in their armor, which was definitely Alliance quality, suggesting they were former military...well that and the fact that Scott's Omni-tool had Alliance logs on them. Their friend Alex was taking sweet ass time getting here, so I got out one of the ration boxes from the shuttle. After Bjorn ordered a pizza in the middle of a mission I decided it would be good to have some food and drinks inside the vehicle to stop something that fucking stupid from happening again. The merc group, AKA our prisoners, were sitting in the middle of the rooftop around a dusty table where upon I set the ration box. They seemed confused.

"What? I can't have you starving to death." I shrugged.

They hesitated but after a moment one of the woman-Elizabeth I think her name was-reached out and picked up one of the energy bars. Taking a bite and with no complaints the rest of them joined in.

"This was a lot better than the stuff they handed out at Terra Nova," said the woman next to Elizabeth. Jesse I think.

"That's what you get for being in the military," I responded.

"Uh, I don't mean to complain but," the American said. "Wouldn't you do something to scare one of us to get information?"

Before the others could give him dirty looks for asking I looked at him. "Oh don't worry, I've got a surprise for you biotic bud." I walked over to the edge of the rooftop where Josh was looking down. He waved me over and I looked down to see a familiar twenty-something human walking toward the building.

"Are you ready Electra?" I asked into the comm chat.

"Affirmative." Kasumi replied smugly.

"Oh I've got to see this!" Shakiel laughed, looking over the edge along with Phil.

We watched our victim Alex slowly approaching the entrance to the building. He stopped just before the door and briefly looked up which made us all duck. After a few seconds Josh peeked over to see that Alex started looking around him, moving in circles. He was probably hearing footsteps all around, certain that there was an unknown presence nearby. We on the other hand could see Kasumi walking around him, consistently just avoiding his line of sight. By now we were all cracking up. It was something straight out of a Loony Tunes episode. Alex looked up and saw us laughing, realization written all over his face Before he could do anything, Kasumi had attached a wire to him, before revealing herself hanging upside down on another rope right in front of him.

"Hi." She said.

The wire started to bring both of the humans up, Kasumi hanging on with one hand while Alex hung upside down, flailing his arms and screaming. They continued to ascend the thirty-story building until both appeared over the edge. Alex stopped, looking everywhere upside down while Kasumi swung from the wire and landed on all fours like she did in the Stolen Memory DLC. While the Charon group looked shocked, everyone else was laughing except Josh. Kasumi had landed right in front of him. She stood up, turned around and brushed past Josh with a smirk on her face.

_Did she just...flir...you know what, never mind. _

I shook my head as I looked at our victim Alex, hanging over the edge. His face had "Oh shit" written all over it.

I reached out and dragged the cable over so that he was hanging five feet over the rooftop. I pulled out my knife and set it next to the wire. "I figured it was time we had a little chat." Cutting the wire, Alex dropped to the ground head first.

"Ow! Fuck!" He groaned.

I attached a pair of handcuffs to him which also disabled biotic abilities and dragged him over to the rest of his friends around the big table. He looked over to Scott who mouthed "Sorry".

"Now, it seemed to me that we had a solid plan. Fool-proof, you might even say." I sat down in front of them. "So you can imagine my displeasure when I come to find Bryce Tanner dead, along with all of his guards. Which in turn means that this information," I held up the data, "that we worked so hard to get, is now useless."

They remained silent, heads hung down.

"Who hired you?" I suspected the answer.

"Bruce Tanner." Alex quietly replied. "He gave us the job and said we would get paid afterwards."

"Why do you care?" Scott asked. "Isn't Bruce just some computer geek that paid us to help."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. All five of them looked confused. I reached down and pulled out a datapad containing the information we got on ol' Brucey and handed it to them. "Bruce Tanner is one of the top weapon smugglers in Citadel Space. He's trafficked enough firearms to embarrass all three merc groups combined and spends his spare time sexually assaulting any woman he can get his hands on."

They read through the files, only to see the man's awful track record piling up.

"His brother Bryce was in the same business but wanted out and had information that could ruin his career. Though, because Bryce was a top-level engineer, we needed him alive to acess this information. Which thanks to your work, is now out of the question." I let that sink in before moving on. "So here we are. Now, the five of you have two options." I got up from the table. "You can stay quiet and not tell me anything, which is easier for me, because all I would need to do then is shoot you, leave your bodies here, go home and order a pizza."

They weren't enthused by this. "Or, you could make my life harder and help us take down Boss."

They didn't seem upset, just a little bowled over by the suggestion.

"You, you want us to help you?" Jesse asked, cautiously.

"Would you prefer the first option?"

The group looked at each other before Alex looked at me. "No." Still as cautious as Jesse.

"Then get your asses over to the shuttle, I want out of this pisshole."

They slowly got up and made their way to the vehicle. I opened my Omni-tool and made a call to Shea.

"Yeah?"

"Ded, I need you to get you and everyone else suited up. As well as blur out the windows in the base."

"Uh, okay. Why?"

"We've got some guests. We'll meet you there in about fifteen minutes."

"Alright, I'll let everyone know," he said slowly before disconnecting.

We hopped inside the shuttle and Shakiel shut the door just before Paul took to the skys. The shuttle's windows were also blurred out, making everything outside look like a dream sequence.

"What's with the windows?" Frank asked.

"Our base is secret and I plan to keep it that way." I replied.

"You have a base?"

* * *

><p>I felt the shuttle slow down which meant we were entering our lair. I heard the engines shut down and walked to the door, opening it and peeking to find everyone in their suits. I fully opened the door and hopped out along with the rest of the team. The Charon mercs followed with their handcuffs removed. They were outnumbered almost two to one so there was no way they would try and attack us. They also seemed to be too distracted by the base itself to attack. I had to remind myself that the Tron-like HQ containing all our equipment might not look so normal to outsiders. Charon remained silent for a moment before Frank turned to Alex.<p>

"Why can't we have a kick ass base like this?"

Alex sighed in response, like he knew what was coming.

"It does make our apartment look like trash."

"Jesse, don't help him!" Alex groaned.

I shook my head and smiled at their attitude. Maybe they weren't so different from us, aside from the merc bit which still bugged me.

"Alright," I called out. "Now that you're here let's get the introductions out of the way. Guys," I gestured to our team. "This is Charon, a little Merc band no one has ever heard of and are the ones responsible for us not being able to use Bryce's information against Bruce."

"So why are they here?" Bjorn gestured at the mercs.

"Simple." I made my way over to the holographic screen on the wall and had it display Bruce's main HQ. "They're going to help us bring the fight to Tanner's doorstep."

**Now Playing : Flux Pavilion - Syndicate**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Okay, yes I know that this chapter is much shorter than the last but that's mostly due to the fact that I couldn't figure out how to cut it to another scene after Lucas' line in a good way. Don't worry though, the next chapter will have more dialogue between Charon and TWB and some action. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for reading, PEACE.<strong>


	13. Chapter 13 : Anti You

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 13 : Anti You**

**August 16th, 2182**

**8:45 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Citadel Time**

**(Josh)**

I can't say I was behind the plan 100% but Lucas seemed to trust these guys enough to let them come along, strange considering we normally don't run with mercenaries. However, I was ignoring those thoughts and was instead thinking about a certain Japanese thief. I'll admit that I was being an idiot by ogling at her when she was laying out the plans for Bryce's office but, when she pulled that rooftop stunt, it was kind of impossible not to.

And from the look on her face, she knew it'd drive me insane. _Oh crap, that means she also...no no, I'm just being..._

"Didn't your parents tell you it's rude to stare?"

I jumped and turned around to see the blonde woman from the Charon squad.

"I, I, wasn't..." Only then did I realize that I was not just thinking of Kasumi but I was also ogling at her...again. _What the fuck is happening to me?_

The blonde just laughed and leaned on the armories table. "You like her don't you?"

Sometimes I wished my left eye wasn't exposed. "What? No..."

She tilted her head. _Oh what the hell. _"Okay, fine. I like her."

"So why don't you ask her out?"

"Uh, are you insane?"

"What?" She smiled.

"I thought the outfit was a give away," I gestured to Kasumi. "But she's not exactly the most generic of individuals."

"That's one of the reasons why you like her isn't it?"

I mentally ground and covered my open eye with my right hand. _I hate it when other people are right!_

"Just think about it." The blonde said before taking a pistol from the table.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

We were going to be out of here within in minutes. To pass the dreaded waiting period I refitted my sniper rifle for about the sixth time. To my surprise, Alex came over and leaned on the armory table next to me. He was suited up, the only thing missing being his helmet.

"Is that really necessary?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"It helps pass the time, and I want to make sure that if I miss," I picked up my sniper and cocked it before attaching it to the magnetic clamp on my back, "it's my fault."

Alex presented an understanding look and nodded before shifting on his feet a bit. "So what did you do before this? You couldn't been doing this forever."

I had a knowing look behind my visor. This was bringing memories to my days at C-Sec. The talks where both people are trying to get information without saying or showing it; a verbal chess game.

"I was a cop," I said.

"Officer?" he asked

I reached into one of my many hidden pockets and pulled out my old badge. Couldn't use it but I always kept it on me for some reason. I showed it to him but concealed the numbers so he couldn't track it. "Detective."

"Wow," he said, raising his eyebrows. "That's almost impressive."

"Says the failed biotic student."

He looked surprised briefly but quickly hid it. "What makes you say I'm a failed student?"

"Because I know that you're not old enough to have graduated from Grissom Academy." I crossed my arms

"And what about you? You don't sound weak but you still sound young. Yet you decided to leave C-Sec for a life of fighting crime in jumped out suits."

"It's a trend still in it's early phases." _Only two years until vigilantism spreads to Omega._

"The costume or the crime fighting?"

"Probably the latter. I have a feeling this," I said, looking down at my suit, "doesn't have much meaning to other people other than my identity."

"But it has more to you?"

"Sort of. Mostly it's just a homage to something from a long time ago." _Someday I'll get bored of being vague and just say "I got the suit from a 170-year old video game"._

"What about you?" I asked. "Is this all just for the hell of it or is it geared to go towards something?"

He paused. "Maybe a bit of both. I've got something in mind."

"Just make sure to be careful, I don't like mercs and well..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He said in a more daring tone.

"In English," dropping my voice. "When this mission is over," I shook my head. "I never want to see your face again."

If he was fazed he kept it hidden inside. The staring between us stayed until...

"Hey guys, lets go!" Paul called out from the shuttle. I walked away from the armory and headed to the shuttle, the sound of footsteps indicating that Alex followed behind me.

"Is your pilot always this anxious?" he asked.

"No, today is a special occasion."

* * *

><p><strong>(Git)<strong>

"Did you see that news report about that Alcatraz dumb ass?" I laughed.

The poker players on the deck of Bruce Tanner's mansion erupted in laughter at the mention of the red and white faggot.

"Chases after our expendable merc for shit info that he can't fucking have anyways!"

The employee's gut busting laughter echoed at the irony of it all.

"I'm amazed that nobody's been able to stop him and his boyfriends," said my friend, Fred Fuchs. "I mean, how fucking hard could it be?"

"I know, right! I bet he can be tossed around like a dog toy! Hell I could probably beat the living fuck out of that..." I turned at the sound of a shuttle and found myself looking at two chain guns.

"Holy shit!"

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

Our shuttle's twin machine guns went berserk, the whole area tuned into a chaos of glass shattering and gun shots.

"Eat shit mother fuckers!" Paul shouted over the gun fire.

After turning the entire upper front deck into a colander, Paul maneuvered the shuttle forward, allowing the team and me to drop down on top of the shredded poker table. Excluding Terran, everyone one on the squad was here since the mission geared towards an all-out assault rather than stealth. I peeked into the shuttle, looking at the five members of Charon, all armed to the teeth.

"You know what you're doing here right?"

They nodded.

"Then don't let anything change that."

"What about out payments?" Frank asked.

"I don't care about that, just know that if Tanner gets away because you got blinded by numbers, I will make you bleed!" I shut the vehicle's door and hit it, cuing Paul to head down below and drop Charon on the ground.

I pulled the sniper rifle off my back and joined the rest of the team inside. Using a sniper indoors may seem weird but this place was gigantic. Frankly the fact that we had five extra people accompanying us was mighty convenient. Bjorn and Josh took point with their shotguns, Phil and Shakiel were in the middle, Shea and I were at the back with rifles and Kasumi just did her thing.

We moved up and took cover next to a door leading to the upper main walkways. I could hear shots firing down below.

"Alcatraz, we just went inside. We're pinned down by snipers upstairs."

"10-4, we're entering now."

Josh hit the door's hologram to reveal the chaos and destruction inside. Two guards in front of us were taken down by our point men. Bjorn and Josh dived for cover, providing Shea and I a perfect view of the two enemy snipers three hundred yards away. I brought the scope to my eye and aimed the radical right between the left sniper's eyes. I pulled the trigger, watching the enemy's head squirt a long line of red blood behind him. I muzzled the sniper and ran into the same cover as Josh and Bjorn, catching a glimpse of the sniper's teammate going down to the floor in a similar state. More enemies emerged from both sides. Phil aimed his assault rifle and laid down some rounds on the right, forcing them to take cover.

Shakiel delivered the same fate to enemies on the left via his SMG. But more poured in from the two sides. Shea and I opted for swapping out the snipers with the assaults and helped the two mid-rangers keep the enemie's heads down, taking out a few enemies in the process. They just kept coming, slowly pushing through our defenses, our backs glued to the wall.

"Fuck this!" Shea proclaimed.

He leaned over cover and fired one round at the right side, with a different gun. Suddenly an explosion occurred behind the wall of tangos, taking down four troops and sent many others flying everywhere, some over the edge and down to where Charon was fighting.

"Let's go, now!" Shea called out before running to the right.

We followed. I could feel rounds hitting my shields until one got through. My armor deflected it but I still winced from the pain. The concussion rounds in the arena were nothing in comparison. We slid into cover, taking over the enemy's previous position, two of the enemies were remaining until Phil took them down. Instead of sticking around though, Phil kept moving forward, crouched with his head down, holding his rifle over the edge of the chest high wall and pinning down enemies on the other side.

"Could use some help here!" He reloaded his weapon.

I aimed my BR over the edge and hammered the trigger, draining the magazine instantly. Just as instantaneous was Shakiel's cover fire, followed by everyone else in line. We'd covered so much ground our cover came to an end. As my teammates kept the enemies suppressed, I tried to form a plan about how to take them down. _Maybe if I..._

Rounds hit my chest, knocking me back. Four guards stood in front of us. I raised my rifle and fired some rounds off in a panic while my teammates fired more accurate shots. The guards went down. After a few coughs from the shots hitting me, I replaced a thermal clip and decided to go with Shea's idea. Fuck this.

"Guys, suppress them now!"

They responded, firing back at the guards on the other side, moving closer to our position when the four previous guards distracted us.

"Ded, follow me!"

We ran out of cover and quickly made our way to the enemies' location as the rest of the group kept firing. Moving around I could see the tip of one of the enemies' heads. I quickly pulled out the sniper and shot the mans skull. He screamed and fell back, freaking out his teammates. Shea and I rounded the corner and approached eight enemies caught with their pants down. Shea hammered round after round into them with his Mattock as I picked off four with my sniper, getting the last two with one shot.

"Tango's down," Shea announced into the comm.

The rest of the team left their cover and regrouped with us outside of Tanner's office. I ejected and inserted a new thermal clip into my sniper before swapping back to the BR. With all the clicks and clanks, it was like a classic lock and load scene from a movie. I readied my weapon. Bjorn nodded and opened the door, the six of us storming inside.

To find Kasumi standing behind a computer on a desk with her hand on her ear.

"Tanner's not here. I'm the only one."

I lowered my weapon, annoyed. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"There's a reason my hand was hovering over my communicator when you busted in."

I sighed and reached for my communicator. "Alex, Tanner isn't in his office. Keep looking he couldn't have gone far."

"Copy that."

"There is something you should be interested in though," Said Kasumi.

"And what's that?" I walked around the desk to look at the terminal screen.

"All of the reports between Bryce and Bruce. I back-tracked through a few of them and found that Bryce wanted out because some of their shipments were getting hit."

"By who?"

"It doesn't say. Other than it wasn't any of their allies. If you want me to, I can copy all of these with one click."

"Do it. There's no way the information can't help."

Suddenly my headset crackled. "Alcatraz!"

"What is it Alex?"

"I've just spotted Tanner at the back of the place. I think he's headed to his boat on the Presidium's river."

"Then get that son of a bitch! Catch up with him and don't let him leave your sights. We'll follow you in a minute."

"Roger that."

Kasumi smiled and walked away from the desk, suggesting that the transfer was successful. We ran towards some stairs leading to the first floor.

"Wash, can you pick us up near the docks?" I asked.

"Yeah the area's clear. I just saw Charon chase after Tanner on some boats."

"I didn't know people used boats on the Citadel," Phil muttered.

We ran through the bodies lying in the wake of gunfire and explosions and made our way outside. Paul was waiting for us in the shuttle. We hopped on and set off in hot pursuit of the bastard. We followed the blue water road until we came across two yachts moving at high speed along the river, with bullets flying around each other. I could see Charon wasn't trying to force Tanner and his men to eat lead because of the civilians nearby. Tanner didn't give a fuck. As a result Paul couldn't use his new best friends either.

"Wash, try to fly low and stay steady." I said.

He quickly looked over his shoulder to find me readying my sniper rifle. The shuttle lowered and I opened the door, crouching and looking down the scope of my rifle as the surroundings quickly passed by. I aimed towards Tanner's boat and tried to steady my breathing. I pointed the radical at the weapon-smuggling rapist, my finger hovering over the trigger.

"Shit!"

The shuttle shook and sent me out of the door. My hand came in contact with the edge of the shuttle as the rest of my body hung in the air. I looked to see an aircar behind me with a damaged front end. Shea aimed his assault rifle at the enemy car and let it rip. The windshield took so many rounds that it gave away and shattered. The two grunts in the front seat sat lifelessly as the car crashed down into the river, just in front of Charon's boat, causing them to recieve ten feet of air from the car and ensuing wave. Shea leaned over the edge of the shuttle and grabbed my hand.

"Isn't it someone else's turn to hang off of shit?" I stepped back into the vehicle.

Shea stayed near the door, aiming his rifle at Tanner's boat, still being pursued by Charon, who looked rather pissed. This was exemplified when the driver cranked the boat into full speed. Shea was about to fire when the merc group slammed their vehicle into the back of Tanner's, causing the company CEO's men to stagger as the two at the back fell off the yacht. Tanner was starting to lose control when Charon went in for another slam, Tanner's vehicle started to lift up with Charon making a P.I.T.-like maneuver. Tanner started to veer right until he hit the right side of the river. The boat went over the railing due to the vehicles angle and made its way to solid ground. People on the surface dived and ran to avoid the wreck flipping over and over until it came crashing into a solid wall.

_Christ._

Charon parked their boat at the edge of the river and jumped onto the ground, quickly moving to Tanner's position, the millionaire rapist was crawling away from the wreckage on all fours. Angry, he stopped, seeing the merc squad he'd hired standing five-ten feet away.

"This isn't what I hired you for!" he growled.

"And we didn't become mercs to help a trafficking rapist." Jesse replied, her voice laced with venom.

"Bullshit! You need people like me! You've gone into this work because you can't do anything else. Because you are nothing more than servants for people like me!" he yelled, trying to agitate the former Alliance troops who stood staring. "But no, you get fucking brainwashed by these shitheads!" He pointed at us waiting in the shuttle. "Going around trying to save people that don't give a fuck about what happens to them!" He breathed heavily. Staring into the eyes of Alex. "You should have done yourselves a favor and fucked off! You don't know what is going to come your way after this!" His face was pulsing red."Well? What are you waiting for!" he yelled looking at their weapons. "Go ahead! Go ahead and show the galaxy a merc group full of idiots that lost everything they've worked for to become the lowest forms of our pathetic fucking race!"

*BANG*

We jumped and blinked at the sudden gun shot, the Charon group shocked at the sight of Scott standing with a smoking pistol barrel. Tanner had blood oozing out of a bullet hole in his neck, chocking and gasping sounds were all that he could voice. Scott walked up to Tanner until he was a foot away and fired one more shot between the guy's eyes. The corpse slammed back into the ground, never to rise again. Everyone stood stunned, until the sounds of sirens in the distance brought us back to reality.

"Come on!" I called out to Charon, waving at them to get into the shuttle.

They snapped back to the task at hand. Alex had to grab Scott's arm and drag him away from Tanner and onto the shuttle. Everyone piled inside and Paul flew us away from the upper class section of the galactic hub.

It was a silent ride.

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight. The permanent sunshine from the Presidium was replaced with the Ward's night cycle. Paul gently set the shuttle down onto the rooftop of Charon's apartment building. I'm sure Alex was going to hate hearing the complaints about their place after seeing our secret lair. Though I had a feeling that wasn't what was going to be foremost on their minds after Scott's actions. The door opened and their team stepped out first. Both groups faced each other in two lines.<p>

"So what are you guys going to do now?" Alex asked.

"Oh I don't know; order a pizza, play a game?" I shrugged. "Honestly, shooting people on a couch with a controller sounds like a vacation to me. Oh, I nearly forgot." I pulled out a credit chit from my suit, one of the other things Kasumi was able to pick up. I held my hand out in front of Alex, holding the 500K chit. He was about to take it when I moved it away.

"A word of advice. Do more research into who you're working for next time, or else you'll run into us again. I meant it when I said I never want to see your face again. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Alex nodded, taking the chit from me. I kept my arm out. He paused until he shook my hand.

"It's been interesting, Alcatraz."

"What, not an honor?"

"I'm not Alliance anymore, therefore I don't have to say bullshit like that."

I chuckled. Everyone shook hands, though Scott didn't seem all that enthused. We said our Goodbyes and hopped onto the shuttle, leaving behind the up and coming mercenaries.

"Anyone notice how they all seem to take an extra look at me?" Kasumi asked.

"No, I wasn't really paying attention." I said.

"Maybe it's the hood."

**Now Playing : Blue Stahli - Anti You (Red Online Remix)**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : And that wraps up the crossover with Mass &amp; Energy. It's been a lot of fun and big kudos to Empeorie for letting me do this. Also a big kudos to Whoa Heavy for suggesting it in the first place. We probably would have skipped over the chance without it. However, I am looking forward to getting back to main story arch. I'll just say that the last squad member will be introduced by the end of the next case. Though I do have a problem. I need a name for a group (Like TWB) but all I've got in mind right now is "The Renegades"...which kind of sucks. So if you've got any name idea's, please suggest them in the reviews. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading, PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. The group name can't be the same as another popular source so don't say something like "Noble Team" or "F.E.A.R.". The group aren't SI's and therefore wouldn't do that.**


	14. Chapter 14 : The Sentinel

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 14 : The Sentinel**

**August 26, 2182**

**9:00 PM, Citadel Time**

**Lucas' Apartment**

**(Lucas)**

"What gets me though," Ian said. "Is that all of the other officers are going, 'We can't find The Wild Bunch! We can't find Alcatraz! We can't get this guy! Well, he's always running across the street catching a shuttle so if you just look!" Ian yelled, laughing with Rebecca, Shea, Terran, Lia, Garrus and myself.

"He's a human walking around the street covered in guns, wearing an armored red and white suit. How can you miss that!" Garrus added.

"I'm surprised they haven't given up." Rebecca smiled. "They're using people's taxes so they can fail to arrest the Wild Bunch, even though they're helping them out."

"Yeah, by making every place they go to look like the Vietnam war." Ian chuckled.

Garrus and Lia seemed confused while everyone else got a little laugh out of it. I was surprised Ian even knew about the Vietnam war. Then again, I'm sure Social Studies still existed.

"Whatever. Point is, with chasing after vigilantes and Josh acting normal around me, it was a pretty strange day."

"Where is Josh anyways?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

We very gently closed the door, making as little noise as possible. The box was in her hands, we silently made our way to the outside of the building, spotting the ladder leading up to the roof and our rendezvous. She stepped up first, climbing with one hand. I stayed below to make sure no one followed us.

"Enjoying the view?" she teased.

"What? I, I wasn't..."

She sighed and shook her head. "Men."

"No, seriously!" _I really wasn't! _She was already at the top, I sighed and followed. I stepped over the top of the ladder to a the view of Zakera Ward. All the tower blocks were either obscured or too far away to block the view, allowing me an amazing view of the ward

Kasumi sat down at the edge of the rooftop cross-legged as she opened the box. I sat down next to her as she handed me the plastic tray containing nine rolls of sushi and a pair of chop sticks.

"I thought ramen was your favorite food."

"It is," she said, taking a piece. "But I still have to mix it up every now and then. Besides, this was always my favorite place on the Citadel for sushi."

I ate a piece, blinking a few times at the alien taste before swallowing the rest of it. I came to the conclusion that it was very tasty.

"What's in this?"

"Oh, just a small amount of pyjak." She shrugged.

I immediately stopped, the second piece inches from my mouth. I was about to put it down when I saw the smirk on her face.

"Very funny. No, seriously, what's in it?"

"Some kind of popular fish from Thessia. I guess being alive for a thousand years gives them plenty of time to learn how to make decent cuisine."

I chuckled, taking another piece as I basked in the view of the galactic core...at least according to the codex. After all this time I was still trying to wrap my head around the universe. I didn't know everything about it off the top of my head like Phil or Lucas.

"It's nice that we live close by." Kasumi said.

"What do you mean?"

"I like the seeder towns; they're prettier. They don't have God awful neon everywhere like the upper wards or a city on Ilium. Just the light of people living, moving from place to place. Just enough to know people live there." She gestured to the tower blocks. The covered up windows, the open decks, the quiet parts, the noisy parts. Taking in everything, I was starting to see where Kasumi was coming from. Though it did raise a question.

"Did you grow up in these kinds of areas?"

She glanced at me before looking back at the view. She didn't seem as cute and optimistic as she normally did. "I grew up on Bekenstein. Human colony not too far from here. People like to call it "the Humans Ilium" and for good reason. It's a place run by corporate and rich families and as a result those are pretty much the only people that live on the planet. My parents worked with ExoGeni and as a result got filthy rich. We had a mansion isolated from the rest of the world. I could get anything I asked for and my father was very keen on getting me trained to work in the business,"

_Kasumi? Working? In business? _I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she said. "As you've probably guessed, I didn't like it. It wasn't because we had money, it was just the lack of joy. I never felt like I earned anything. I just asked my parents to get something, they would hit a button and it was mine. I had everything but I didn't have anything. Friends, pride, ambition, I didn't have any of those things growing up." I could see the pain she had to go through, even though her face was relatively void.

"What made you become a thief?" I asked, trying not emphasize the last word.

"The first thing I stole was my dad's credit chit. I used that to buy my way onto a transport heading to the Citadel."

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen." She replied like I asked what time it was.

"Wow," was all I could say. "Do your parents know what you do?"

"Not at first. They were sending search teams everywhere back home and I didn't like leaving them like that. So, I went back and left the credit chit I stole from my father on his desk with a note. After that the search teams dispersed. Now Mr. and Mrs. Sato are still living there running their business."

I raised an eyebrow when she mentioned "Sato".

"What? You can't expect my family to have the Japanese name for "Thief" can you?"

_Oh...right. _I nodded.

"What about you?" she asked.

I hadn't thought about those days in a long time, not since I first got here. I didn't want to think about them. About my mother, my father, my younger sister, my younger brother. I didn't want to think about any of it. I could practically hear Lucas quoting, "You can't run from your past".

"They..." I paused, trying to figure out how phrase everything correctly. Just then I felt a hand rest on top of mine. I turned to see Kasumi giving me a reassuring look. I felt my lungs clear and I gave her a smile, which she returned.

I started. No pausing.

* * *

><p>We were walking down the hallway of the tower block, passing my friend's apartments before arriving at my front door. I never would have guessed how good it felt to get everything off my chest, to talk to someone about what I had bottled up inside for so long. I couldn't tell her everything but that didn't lessen the joy of having someone like her listen. I entered my code and the door opened.<p>

"So, I'll see you at the base tomorrow?" I asked.

"Of course. You want to do this again maybe, next week?"

"Sure, I'd love that. Though maybe I should just walk in a pay next time. I kind of felt guilty not paying them anything."

"Who said they didn't get paid?" she asked.

I must have looked confused since she then displayed a wallet in her hand...my wallet.

"How did you..."

"You may be good 'Kestrel' but I've been doing this for nearly a decade, as you already know."

I sighed, trying to hide my smile at her pouting look as I took my wallet back. "Goodnight, Kasumi." I took a step inside.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

I turned back, searching my pockets and finding everything I had. "What?"

She stepped forward and moved her face closer to mine. I didn't have time to prepare before she brought her lips to mine. My mind felt like it shut down for a second before rebooting with a hale storm of questions running through my head. She pulled away. We stared at each other. "Goodnight." She turned and walked away. I starred off into the distance before registering what happened. I shook my head frantically and looked at the hallway only to find she vanished.

_I've got to figure out how she does that._

* * *

><p><strong>September 4th, 2182<strong>

**8:16 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Deviant Arena, Tayseri Ward**

**(Lucas)**

Paul took the two weapons from the table, locking in the magazines of mass accelerated destruction. He wrapped his hands around the two guns, aiming them at the helpless targets unable to scram, scream or sin...because they were paper.

Paul let his newest new best friends rip, instantly draining both of the automatic firearms. The scoreboard on the right lite up.

Wash of The Wild Bunch - 0

"Zero!" Phil profoundly announced before the whole group busted out laughing.

"Fucking bullshit!" Paul shouted.

"Well what do you expect?" I asked, chuckling. "It's hard enough to shoot one of those things! Who the fuck do you think you are, Max Payne?"

"I would have thought that two Glocks would do more than just suppress enemies."

"Why do you even like Glocks?" Josh asked.

"Because they're awesome!"

Before the two of them could argue any further Kasumi showed up.

"So you know that group of people that disrupted Tanner's shipments?" she asked. By now I was used to Kasumi skipping the "Hey" or "Hi" of introductions.

"Yeah."

"Well I was finally able to get a name on them." Kasumi happily handed me a datapad.

I took it and read the identity of the mystery group. "Ex Magna?"

Kasumi nodded as I read through more of the file. "How did you even find all this?" I asked.

"They're in the arena waiting for you."

I blinked, immediately looking at the thief to see she wasn't joking. She gestured us to follow. Making our way through the hallways of people we made it to the middle of the arena's perimeter. Kasumi gestured her head to the left. Zooming in with my helmets optics I could see the team in question. They didn't select their members by race since there were people of all types standing around. I could see the four they picked for the arena match. Two male Humans, one Krogan and one Turian. The latter wore helmets while the formers didn't, both touting buzz cuts.

"So who's going in?" asked Bjorn.

"It'll be me, Ded, Pip Boy and the Rookie."

"Why can't I go in?" Paul asked, annoyed.

"Because you're more likely to deafen them to death with those things," gesturing to his dual auto pistols, "before you actually shoot them."

We made our way to the pre-game lobby. We set up our weapons for concussion rounds and stepped inside, hearing the entrance doors close behind us while the screens started to countdown from thirty seconds. I pulled out my sniper rifle as Shea reached for his Mattock. Phil went for his heavily modified Avenger and Shak had his custom SMG.

"Any plans?" asked Shea.

"The Krogan is going to be the big problem so I'll focus all of my fire on him. We can take care of everything after that." I readied my rifle and prepared to run out of the gate.

The numbers counting down started to beep, indicating there was ten seconds left. My three comrades got ready to rush out into the field with me. Ready to get the drop on these sons of bitches. The clock hit zero. The arena's gates flew open, we charged out. I aimed down my scope, preparing to waste any motherfucker that came through the other side.

I suddenly felt my head being forced back along with my spine hitting the floor. I was unable to move.

_Son of a bitch!_

* * *

><p><strong>(Shea)<strong>

"Alcatraz is down!" I dived for cover. Phil and Shak followed and ducked behind the metal shielding us.

"What the fuck just happened!" Phil exclaimed.

"Captain Bullshit," I gestured to Lucas' body, "just got beaten at his own game, that's what!"

Within ten seconds we had gone from big goddamn heroes getting ready to force an enemy to eat lead, to three gits with their backs glued to a wall. I heard stomping footsteps coming closer to us. _Oh crap. _

"Guys, what are we..."

I turned to find both of them gone. _You have got to be joking! _I heard a growl, I looked to see the one ton lizard towering over me. I think this was the part where I should have been holding a sign saying, "Help me". I fired two rounds at the beast but he grabbed me with one hand and threw me down across the floor. I landed on my shoulder and slid a few more feet before coming to a halt. Before I could recover I heard the footsteps approaching me again. I could see my Mattock a few feet in front of me. I started to crawl to the rifle, begging for its stopping power to save me. I wrapped my right hand around the trigger's handle. I let out a breath, just in time to see the Krogan stomp on the weapon's barrel. The front of it had been completely squashed, looking like it went through a trash compactor. I looked up to see the seven foot bastard grinning.

_Son of a bitch!_

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

I almost felt bad for leaving Shea behind. Almost. I now shuck my way through the back parts of the arena, trying to get the drop on somebody. I can't say I was confidant though. If one thing was certain, it was that these guys knew what they were doing. They weren't the typical old trash dickwads that thought they could take us because they guarded a door for five years. I kept my stance defensive and ready, my SMG aimed in front. I took cover behind a wall as I heard two voices close by. Neither were flanged or extremely deep so it must have been the two humans. I quickly leaped from cover and moved toward the source, my finger on the trigger, the voices were becoming louder along with my heartbeats. I turned the corner to find a datapad lying on the floor playing the voices, the screen displayed "Dumbass". Just then I heard two shotguns being pumped behind me.

_Son of a bitch!_

* * *

><p><strong>(Phil)<strong>

I heard two shotguns go off in the distance. So either Shakiel arbitrarily became Frank Castle or he just got put down. Knowing that it was the latter, it meant I was the only one left, unless Shea and that Krogan were having tea and crumpets. I decided that trying to survive was going to be a massive waste of time so I started to run towards the middle of the arena, only to be kicked on the left side of my rib. I fell onto the ground, coughing from the sudden attack, seeing that the Turian was behind it. He pulled out his pistol. I spotted a piece of cover and started to roll. I felt a shot hit my shields but the ones to follow were blocked by the cover. I reached down and pulled my pistol out and rolled out of cover. The Turian didn't expect me to leave so quickly, allowing me to pop off four rounds, though not enough to take down his shields. I got up and ran after him. When I ran through the corner though, I knew I'd made a mistake. The Turian disarmed me and delivered solid punch to the stomach, quickly followed by a hit to my head with his elbow. I staggered back on my feet, trying to get myself into a fighting stance, except I didn't know any proper fighting stances.

I threw a punch with my right which the Turian blocked. I threw my left out but he kicked my completely exposed chest. I staggered back again, almost falling on the floor. The Turian walked up and illustrated the fastest roundhouse I'd ever seen, to my face! That time I did fall to the floor. I clutched my head in pain. _Oh that's going to last for a while!_

"Something distracting you?" A female voice chuckled.

Confused I scanned around to see no one else around. My eyes drifted upon the Turian, who I just realized was less bulky than usual.

"My smoldering sex appeal?" the Turian sarcastically asked.

I had seen female Turians before but the surprise still hit me. I remembered scanning the place though, my pistol was close by. I started to crawl towards it, the Turian's footsteps behind me.

"Come on, you can be honest. Human males seem to like that I can kick the shit out of them," she said, wrenching my misery for all it was worth.

"Honey, you got real ugly." I grabbed my pistol and quickly turned around, to be met by her pistol directed at me point blank.

My head reeled back to the ground in conjunction with the gun shot. The pain searing me. _Hasn't my poor face taken enough damage already? _The barrier from the Arena didn't activate, confirming I was the last one left. I got up to find the smug Turian walking away with her pistol in hand.

_Son of a bitch!_

* * *

><p><strong>30 Minutes Later<strong>

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

Shea tossed me the bottle of painkillers which had been passed around by everybody unfortunate enough to be in the arena against Ex Magna. The pain in my head made a hangover sound like a vacation.

"Thanks," I said, popping the pills into my mouth like shots of vodka.

"I can understand why the rich hire those fat bastards." Said Shea. "They make sumo wrestlers look like fucking case workers."

"Uh, guys," Terran called out from his terminal. We got up from the med-bay and stood behind our hacker. "I was able to find some more Intel on these Ex Magna guys."

"Aside from they can fuck shit up?" Phil said.

"Well, more like I found something that hints at how they 'fuck shit up'. Take a look at this." After a few clicks a picture appeared on the screen of a man behind a table, body guards surrounding him. Could have been part of a mob or a merc squad leader. "This was one of the guys they went after. Now the camera footage goes static after this point, so I hacked into the C-Sec database and found this." Terran clicked again revealing another picture of the same man, or at least I though it was the same man. His entire face was black and red, like the Vietnam war happened on his mug. Seeing this stuff and knowing it actually happened was unnerving to say the least.

"Jesus."

Was it me or someone else that said that? I didn't know, I just knew it voiced what we were all thinking.

"We need to stop these scumbags." I gritted my teeth.

"Then you'll be happy to know I found the place they're going to next." Terran smirked.

"Where?"

"700 Blocks, Bachjert Ward."

Zion was funny that being a cop required me to go to a criminal gang like Zion on multiple occasions. Though being a cop also let me see how pissed off they can get when someone tries to fuck with them.

"All right, lets go!"

* * *

><p>The ride in the shuttle wasn't the usual cacophony of banter about pointless information that nobody but ourselves would even get. A deafening silence accompanied us from the base all the way to the landing area outside a dingy factory. I had seen this one before in my travels. Never up close but I could always spot at least two guards standing at the front of the place when I left Zion's HQ. Presently there was no one at the front. The shuttle door opened and I stepped out with my BR loaded up and ready to fire. The same went for Shea, Phil and Shakiel. All of us could feel our injuries but I don't think we cared. After all, "Everybody takes a beating sometime".<p>

"What a shithole," Phil muttered.

"Ditto," We echoed.

I took point, the others following behind closely. I placed my back against the wall next to the entrance door. I hit the door's hologram. It opened and we rushed inside, weapons fully raised. The only thing the area revealed was a pitch black setting, not a single light in the area, only a slight illumination from outside of the door. Wordlessly we switched to our helmet's night vision. It didn't completely fix the problem but at least allowed me to see where the hell I was going. To say I wasn't liking this was putting it lightly.

I started to slowly step forward, I looked behind and saw the others were following silently. I turned away and looked ahead to see an upside down body a foot away from my face. I let out a yelp and reeled back, nearly falling over but was stopped when Shea grabbed my arm. I slowed my breathing down, everyone stared at the body now. There was something on it too, a red, white and black 'Z' on the front.

"That's one of the guards," Shea said, voicing my thoughts.

"So where's Magna?" Phil asked.

Suddenly the factory exploded in light, the night vision blinding me as I scrambled to turn it off. I hit the button on my helmet as I couldn't see my Omni-tool and looked to see the whole front of the compound was festooned with armed troops of all races. As Hitler must have said when he woke up one morning to find a bunch of pissed off Russians in his front yard.

"Scheisse!" I hissed.

"Shit is right, Alcatraz," said a human in front of me, buzzcut telling me it was one of the same humans from the Arena. _Wait how did he know what Scheiss...oh right, translators. Nevermind. _"Now put the weapons down," The gruff human said. With nothing to gain by objecting, I tossed my rifle on the ground, followed by everybody else.

"Who the hell are you?" Shea asked.

"The name's Zach Magna."

Before I could inject anything he spoke.

"And as you might expect, I am the leader of Ex Magna," gesturing to the small army surrounding him. "The cult that is never afraid to do what must be done." He started to chuckle. "I must say, it's a real honor to finally meet you and some of your crew Alcatraz."

_When it will be common knowledge that The Wild Bunch has no leader?_ I was hoping it would be somewhere in the two-thousands. But his question confused me. "Am I missing something?" I asked.

"You were the one that inspired me."

I blinked. _What?_

He continued. "A crew of masked vigilantes, fighting crime, saving citizens on a daily basis, taking down people the cops couldn't touch. You guys are true heros to many people."

"Including you?"

"Not quite. Because at the end of the day, you have a tendency to not do what is necessary."

"Like burn a random gang banger to a crisp?" I asked bitterly.

"That man spent his days exploiting those less fortunate than him. What I did was merciful compared to what he deserved."

I shook my head at the smug look on his face. "So you're like us in every single way?" I paused to let him revel in my statement. "Except you sink yourself to the same homicidal piece of shit levels as the people you execute."

His smug look was still there but it had a new found anger to it. He walked up to me until he was right up in my face.

"You think you're better than me don't you? You ever think about the people you kill? All those mercenaries payed to protect their income."

"They knew what they were getting into when they signed up." I countered.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" He chuckled. "Try telling that to their parents, wives, husbands, kids." He pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Shea. "If I killed your friend right now, would you hate my guts and follow a path of vengeance or dismiss it as part of the job?"

My silence answered his question.

"That's what I thought." He aimed the pistol at me. "Now, let's send these guys off with a bang."

I heard a clink sound on the ground only a few feet away. I spotted the egg shaped device slowly roll in the area before it emitted a beep.

_Oh shit! _"Get down!" I shouted.

Diving to the floor with everyone else. My entire vision went white, along with a piercing ring, torturing my ear drums. If I was screaming from the pain, I couldn't hear it. Slowly my vision started to return as well as my hearing when I felt myself being pulled away and pushed up against a piece of cover. I was about to ask what the fuck was going on when the being shoved my rifle to me. I looked up to see a Turian figure wearing a dark purple and black armor set.

_Wait, then that means..._

"If you want to live stay down!" The female Turian yelled before popping off more rounds from her custom pistol. I looked to my side to see Shakiel, Phil and Shea behind the same cover with their weapons. I heard an enemy crash into the floor in the distance.

"Follow me and run!" The Turian yelled before making a break for an outside door. We jumped from cover and did as she said. I felt more bullets hitting my shields before we were through the door and standing inside some dark maintenance area or emergency exit.

"Okay, we make our way to the exit and get to your shuttle," she said in a commanding voice as she holstered her weapon.

If she thought I was just going to listen and be a Yes Man she had another thing coming. I lifted my leg to kick the back of her knee. To my surprise she hit the bottom of my foot and shoving me back. _What's she made of, rubber bands? _Just as quickly she punched me in the stomach, grabbed me and shoved me head first into the wall. She was about to make another move when I saw my friends had their weapons locked and loaded at her head.

"You're not getting out this time, who are you?" Phil asked.

"A friend," she said.

"I'm going to need something more than that."

She remained silent, still locking me against the wall.

"Answer me!" Phil said again.

Her covered head meant no clues as to what she was thinking.

Phil sighed and shook his head, reaching his hand out to her helmet. Throwing it off her head, leaving everyone excluding Shakiel in shock. The purple eyes, the face tattoos, only one person had those.

"Katrina Pallin?"

"It's been a long time Lucas."

**Now Playing : Celldweller - The Sentinel**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Yes, yes, I know, this took longer to get out than it was supposed too. Blame my writers block and boring life stuff for getting in the way. So, aside from that, Katrina Pallin is back. For those that didn't read Mass Affect 1, Katrina Pallin is Executor Pallin's daughter and is an OC character THAT IS ALL MINE! BLURRRRRRRRRRRRG! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you did please let me know and I'll see you guys next time, PEACE.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15 : Kimosabe

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 15 : **Kimosabe****

**September 4th, 2182**

**9:45 PM, Citadel Time**

**Zion Factory, Bachjert Ward**

**(Lucas)**

"How do you know..."

I was interrupted by shots bouncing off the rusted walls in the small emergency exit. Katrina pulled out her pistol and fired down the entrance to keep the enemies at bay. Me and my friends pulled out our weapons to assist.

"I'll explain later; right now let's just get out!" She ran back, still firing down the corridor. We followed suit but more guards kept coming. Three of them abandoned their cover to fire back, only to be showered in more rounds which caused them to retreat. I could hear angry commands from their leader, Zach. The shooting died down just as I felt my back hit cold metal. We made it to the exit. Katrina slammed the hologram on the door and we rushed outside as a loud and deep roaring sound came from the corridor inside.

"Shit! Go! Go!" I yelled as we made our way to the shuttle.

After a few steps I saw that there were only four of us. I looked behind to see Shea with his back next to the factory door containing the pissed off lizard.

"Ded! What are you doing!" I kept moving back with the others. He made a "Wait" sign, inert as the Krogan's sound got louder and louder. Right as the noise was at it's peak, Shea hit the close door button on the side. A loud slam came but it was quickly replaced with silence. The only evidence of the beast's existence was the large Krogan-shaped dent. Shea ran as fast as he could, joining us a few steps away from the shuttle.

"Sorry, but that was too tempting." Shea blurted out.

"Just let me know when you do that next time." I sighed. Stepping into the shuttle along with the others.

"You didn't complain about me blowing up those bastards at Tanner's palace without telling you."

"Because that was actually necessary."

"Come on, if you had the chance to hurt the bastard that tossed you around like Justin Bieber in a prison, you would have done the same thing."

"Actually I would prefer to have my organs intact and simply run the hell away."

"So you'd just piss off like Pee Wee then?"

"If it meant I could..."

"Shut the fuck up!"

The silence, confusion and slight terror followed when Katrina voiced her thoughts loudly and provocatively. My ears suffer enough torture from my blasting music, the last thing I needed was a tough-as-nails-chick disintegrating them even further.

"You were about to ask me something back at the factory, Lucas?" She asked.

"Yeah," I said, taking my helmet off. "How the hell did you know it was me?"

"I knew The Wild Bunch's appearance and your sudden absence with your friends wasn't a coincidence."

I sighed and let the back of my head rest on the shuttle's wall. I heard the sound of helmets clicking; Phil, Shak and Shea decided to let their heads get some air since my identity was now revealed. Katrina got to work identifying them.

"Shea, you were the one that helped me up." She pointed her finger at him.

Shea looked surprised she remembered. Her hand then pointed to our Medic.

"Phil, you're the one that kept me alive long enough to make it to C-Sec." Phil slowly nodded. "Thanks by the way."

"Uh, no problem." Phil shrugged.

"And Paul is the one piloting the shuttle yes?" She called out.

"Yes." Paul replied defeatedly.

She finally turned to Shakiel staring at her, probably because he hadn't seen a female Turian yet.

"And I don't know who you are."

"How the fuck do you do that?" I asked. I couldn't remember a name for more than five minutes unless I had it bashed into my brain.

"I was a scout during my stint in the Turian hierarchy. Remembering names and locations off the top of my head came with the job. Speaking of which, are we headed to Zion's HQ?"

"Should we?"

She looked at me as if had a shoe on my head. "Uh, it's where Magna's making his move so yeah."

"What? Why the hell is Magna going there?"

"Because he wants to take down Zion. He's planning to construct a surprise attack on their main base and scatter the gang into anarchy."

"So why didn't you just call the cops? Back when I was there we worked in tandem on multiple occasions."

She walked up to me and opened up a video file on her Omni-tool. "This is what happened last time Magna ran into the Feds." She hit Play to display some security footage. Thirteen Magna members were on screen including the Krogan that was trying to bear hug Shea. The outside view showed that C-Sec had arrived to save the day; about fifteen cops were on canvas with their weapons out. One of the officers started yelling out the cliche commands "This is Citadel Security! Come out with your hands behind your head!" The cult looked at them for a few seconds before the Krogan raised his shotgun, pulling the trigger on the closest officer. The rest of the cops started opening fire but it was like the North Hollywood shootout all over again. They were completely out-gunned. The Magna's raised their assault rifles and let them rip up the lords of the law until their blue uniforms were red with blood.

That used to be funny when it was me going ape shit with a tank in Grand Theft Auto.

"Jesus Christ." I ran my hand over my face.

"Well so much for that idea." Shakiel sighed.

"What if I call the rest of our team in?"

"Even with the rest of your squad you would have been utterly out gunned in the factory, and there's more where that came from," Katrina said.

"And you're sure Zion simply can't handle it on their own? I once fought with them against a company of Blue Suns mercs."

"Ex Magna are not the Blue Suns."

I slumped back into my seat, sighing as the shuttle's interior fell silent.

"How did you work with Zion before?" Katrina asked.

"One of us would contact their boss who I met through Detective Chellick and then we'd simply work out a mutually beneficial plan."

"So the boss knew you?"

"Yeah but..." I knew by the look on her face what she was getting at. "No, I'm not doing that!" I stood up, looking out the window.

"It's either that or you let Zion get destroyed, which in turn is probably going to cause chaos with the rest of the gangs and C-Sec."

"If word gets out about our identitys, that's going to cause chaos too."

"More than the former?"

The silence that returned came from me trying to find how she was wrong. Letting our names known by outsiders was wrong. But, I had to admit, that if there was anyone that I'd trust to keep our identitys a secret, it'd be the boss. I opened my Omni-tool's contact list.

* * *

><p><strong>1 Hour Later<strong>

**(Magna)**

"All teams this is Alpha, come in!" I said into my communicator, standing behind the pilot of our shuttle that was being followed by our company of comrades.

"This is Bravo, waiting for orders."

"This is Charlie; we're locked and loaded."

"Delta! Waiting for orders."

"All squads copy. Bravo will be following me around the back of the HQ while Charlie and Delta make a break for the front entrance. Everybody stay sharp and this will be over in no time!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Give 'em hell soldiers!" I shut down my communicator as the pilot took us to our landing zone, flying over the disarrayed metropolis until we settled down on the outskirts of Zion's hideout.

I locked on my helmet and opened the door to let my fellow troopers set their feet on the ground, the last being a monster of a man even by the standards of his own race, Forsan Nask. I saw Bravo team stepping out of their shuttle and making their way over.

"Bravo team is ready, Sir!" The Turian named Ruso called out in front of his troops.

"Charlie and Delta are in position, Sir!" I heard the leader of Charlie announce over my headset.

"Bravo, you will take the right side of the HQ's back alley and flank Zion the same time we do!"

"Yes, Sir!" Ruso said.

"Charlie and Delta, you will distract the enemy by attacking the front entrance, Zion won't be able to gather their people fast enough with the amount of troopers that you have."

"Sir!" Charlie leader said.

"Max, you're taking point!"

"You've got it bro!" my bulky friend said, displaying his obvious joy as he ran ahead, listening to the wake of footsteps following his moves.

I loaded my M-76 Revenant and joined the fray, the whole block as silent as it should have been, with the only noise being our convoy. I could see the outlines of the HQ's lights though it wasn't as extravagant as the front entrance and thankfully, completely unguarded. We halted our movements, waiting for Charlie and Delta to begin the next stage of the plan and sure enough, gun shots started erupting from the front side of the base.

"Move!" I said.

Max sprinted at top speed. The rest of the squad followed with Nask right behind me. Suddenly my radio started to crack.

"Sir!" It was the leader of Charlie. "We've been ambushed! They came out of no where with automatic fire! We're quickly taking cas..." The line went dead.

"Charlie, come in!" I yelled. No one responded. I knew that trying to contact Delta would be pointless. _How the hell did they..._

I stopped in my tracks as everybody else grinded to a halt. Max was falling to the ground with both of his eyes replaced by thick, bloody holes you could see through. The battlefield protocol I'd learned from my days in the military started to disintegrate, until my ears registered the beeping sound of a grenade. There were more than half a dozen. They clanked on the ground and my soldiers scattered helplessly, trying to out run impending doom. I grabbed Nask, pulled him away from his position with all of my might and set him in front of me. The explosions went off. The power of the small bombs had enough force to lift me and Krogan I hanged onto off his feet. We were soaring through the air backwards, about to slam into the cold hard ground. I let go of the Krogan whose body had to be toast. I grunted as I crashed onto the floor. Nask's corpse had collapsed next to me, just short of crushing me to death. Coughing from the impact, I suddenly felt my shields being hit. My adrenaline returned as I spotted the bullet trail coming from one of the buildings next door, on it's second floor. I grabbed my assault rifle from the ground and held the trigger, firing wildly, knowing they were close to my target because his fire stopped. I hopped back to my feet, aware of the snipers and quickly made my way out. Feeling bullets hit my back but were protected by my kinetic barriers.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"Son of a bitch!" I spat as I ejected my BR's thermal clip and slammed in a new one.

"Magna's headed west side, trying to either regroup with his other team or is just trying to get the hell out." Said Katrina.

"I'm going after him!" I jumped from the window, landing on a dumpster below to soften the fall. "Can you and Ded give me sniper support?"

"You got it!" I could imagine Katrina 'ssmirk on the other line.

I set off in hot pursuit of the buzz cut cop-killing piece of shit, leaping over several bodies Katrina and Shea had taken out. I bounced off a wall corner that lead to another alleyway, this time with a familiar figure at the other end. I started laying down rounds again but his shields were too powerful and I couldn't get the accuracy I needed. With half a mag spent, I sped back up. When I emerged from the end of the alleyway I came into a courtyard that still had a couple of the other squads men standing. I ran through the middle since no one noticed my presence, that is until a Turian leaped out of no where. I was preparing to take the hit when suddenly its body went flinging to my right and landed on the ground. I glanced to my left to see a Turian and Human figure on the rooftop with their snipers.

"Thanks!" I yelled into my comm unit before getting back to the task at hand. If I got a response, I didn't hear it.

The silhouette of Magna kept me driving forward as I stomped my way through the another dark alleyway, leading to the side of Zion's HQ. I could still hear the fighting on the other side of the base where the battle was not in Magna's favor. I was sure everybody from the people in our squad to Zion's goons were having a field day, lighting up their enemies like Christmas trees. The alleyway led to another courtyard area with no cover for Magna. I knew I could keep going like this but it was easy to tell this man was a professional, not some universe transporting eighteen year old from Canadialand hopped up on soda. As he was running away I stopped and looked down the acog scope of my BR, carefully lining up my target. I shot two three-shot bursts and saw them hit the shielding. I laid down two more and saw the last batch had got rid of them but I still needed to fire one more to get a hit on him. I steadied my breathing, one burst left. Some people talk about how time slows down but I never felt that. Everything went down quicker than normal. I aimed my final shots and fired, a small hint of blood came off Magna as he fell to the ground, clutching the chest wound.

I let my empty mag fall to the ground and started to walk toward him. I opened my mouth to speak as I approached.

"Look out!" Paul shouted into the comm channel.

I looked to the right and immediately dived back as far as I could. The sounds of metal on metal slamming and screeching echoed in the area as I missed the crashing vehicle by a few feet. Trying to catch my breath I got to my feet to see Paul's shuttle with it's twin machine guns still smoking.

"Holy shit." Paul laughed.

"What's so fucking funny about me almost being turned into red paste because of a car you shot down!"

"What's not funny about it?"

I flipped the bird at him and walked to the area where I'd left Magna, only to find he was no longer there. Before I could voice anything I felt something hard hit my back. Falling to the ground, my rifle fell out of my hand. I instantly reached for my pistol and turned around on my back to fire, knowing the attacker. I fired and shot Magna's hand that was on my rifle. He yelled from the pain and dropped it like I had. I kept my pistol aimed at him, got up and forced him to the ground with a kick.

The area sounded of nothing but breathing and coughing before I spoke. "You didn't have to go down this path you bastard."

"Oh don't pretend we're so different!" He spat, looking at me as if he could see me through my visor. "What you do to any merc that gets in your way, what you did to Drag, you're hardly a fucking saint."

I could feel anger starting to build up inside of me. I hated everything I did to Johnny Drag when we were searching for Terran, even if the guy was a total ponce. Just thinking about it filled me with disgust. "I am not like you! I didn't pulp a fucking chain of officers last time I checked!"

"No, you pulp people who have no choice but to take a job that pays better than being a fucking desk clerk!" He yelled. "You really don't ever think about what you do! You get so blinded by your Goddamn ego that you stop caring about anything that's way!"

"What you do is brutality for brutality sake! I do what I do because they don't leave me a choice!"

"Is that really what you tell yourself! I make the sacrifices that need to be made where as you just indulge your little fucking fantasy of being..."

My blood was boiling. Before he could continue I raised my pistol and put one round through his helmet, noise in the area ceased to exist. No yelling, no coughing, no breathing, no rattling from my suit or weapons. That was when my thoughts came back and I realized what I did. I walked toward Magna but stopped mid-stance, knowing I couldn't do anything. I couldn't change anything because it already happened. My rage returned but it was only directed at myself.

"Alcatraz, come in!" It was Katrina on the comm channel.

I blinked, remembering there was another battle going on.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Magna's troops are eradicated; either dead or they fucked off when they could. What's going on with Zach?"

I looked back at the corpse and sighed. "He's dead. He tried to attack me and I took the shot." I hated myself for lying but it wasn't the first time.

"Copy that, everyone's meeting up at the HQ, good work." She said before disconnecting.

* * *

><p>Everyone at the base was ecstatic, clashing alcohol together with their guns raised up in the air cheering at the top of their lungs. It brightened my mood somewhat but I kept silent and ignored most of the people who were trying to congratulate me or pat me on the back. I needed something to distract me. Luckily the rest of our squad and Katrina were standing near the staircase that lead to the bosses room. I walked over to the stairs and made my way up to the head of Zion. It had been a long time since I'd been in the room but it really hadn't changed all that much. It still had the same dark lighting and the same Godfather chair behind the big man's desk. He was staring out the window looking down at the carnage that we caused.<p>

His old bodyguards were still there but to my surprise he said. "Guards, take five."

"Uh, but boss."

"I said, take five." His voice was calm and low but threatening.

I could feel chills. The guards looked at each other and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them. The boss turned around with his old style suit and a cigar.

"I have to say Lucas, I never expected The Wild Bunch to be a bunch of kids." He chuckled.

"Life's full of surprises. Thanks for not telling the others."

"Hey, it's the least I could do. After all, your information saved my people."

"Actually, it was Katrina that had the info." I gestured to the Turian scout standing next to us.

He turned to look at her with an amused look on his face. Katrina retained her cold look.

"It doesn't justify what you did but you have my thanks," he said, holding his hand out.

Katrina looked conflicted for a second before shaking hands with the boss.

"Thank you Sir."

"I can definitely see the resemblance to your father." He said, turning back to me leaving Katrina to try and figure out how he knew she was Pallin's daughter.

"Well, since I am in your debt." He stopped and pulled something out of his pocket, a card of some sort and handed it to me. "It's not much but, if you ever find yourself needing assistance, don't hesitate."

The card depicted a traditional number code along with a name. David Powell. I looked back at the boss realizing what he just gave me.

"Now we're even. Just in case I ever get drunk enough to give away your alias, you can implicate me too." He said.

I chuckled and tucked away the card. "Good to see again old friend."

"And you as well dear boy."

With that we exited the room and walked back down the stairs.

"That man does have a gift." Shakiel said.

"What gift is that?" Phil asked.

"He can refer to other guys as "dear" and not sound gay."

Everyone excluding Pallin snickered as we walked outside and headed to the shuttle, leaving the party that was going on in the Zion HQ/Shithole.

"Well, with all of that out of the way, that just leaves one question." I turned around and looked at Katrina. "What are you going to do now that Magna's gone?"

"I'm coming with you," she said firmly.

Normally I would have laughed but her voice indicated that if I did she would bite my head off. Instead I just stared.

"Why do you think I joined Magna in the first place? I want to do something and I'm not going to spend the time rising through ranks at C-Sec, not after what happened last year. You saw what I can do, let me join you."

I knew she wasn't going to budge. "Are you sure about this Katrina?"

"Katrina is what my father calls me. Please, call me Kat."

"She's going to need a code name for when we're out and about," Shea said.

_Tough-as-nails-bitch. Doesn't-take-shit-from-anyone. Can-drill-a-target-from-point-blank-and-far-away._ We shook on it.

"Welcome to The Wild Bunch, Tex."

**Now Playing : BT - Kimosabe**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Yes this chapter took way longer than it should have but I had massive writers block and it took a while to get my mother to beta read. However, the next bunch of chapters are also going to be quite the challenge so those might take a little while as well, or maybe not, who knows? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for reading, PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. I've also been going back and fixing up some of the older chapters in MA1, you can read it if you want but there's not really any major changes. Mostly just spelling and grammar fixes.**


	16. Chapter 16 : Burnt Oasis

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 16 : Burnt Oasis**

**September 20th, 2182**

**1:12 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Josh)**

Things have been a little sour for the past couple days due to the cases, or lack there of. Unless you include small time store robberies and red sand dealers, there was nothing going on in the city. It almost made me think about what we would do when this is all over, almost. Then there was Kat. She was very skilled and had no trouble working with us, it's just that she seemed a little stuck in the military. It made me curious as to why she left since she's quite young and obviously didn't complete her full military service. The first day she witnessed our normal wake-up and planning routine she acted like she had jumped universes. Decent food and coffee, nobody barking orders, everybody screwing around, were all alien to her. Though, we never tried to talk to her about it because she was, how would I put this? Really fucking scary. I didn't know Turians growled but Kat made a great show of it on her first day. Thankfully she seemed to be getting more used to us. Hell, she even made a jab at Phil this morning.

However, the thing that was making the days sour was Lucas. Ever since the debacle with Magna he seemed out of the loop, like a big dark cloud followed him where he went. He'd still crack a lame joke and play a game but there was something bugging him. It wasn't Kat since he was the one that agreed to let her join so that just left one thing. When I asked him about what happened with Magna he tried to keep the conversation short. I had known the guy for over ten years; his story about having to defend himself against Magna wasn't what really happened and I knew it. Zach Magna wasn't anybody I felt sympathy for but him dying by Lucas' hand wasn't a pleasing thought.

"Hey," Kasumi said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You ready to go?"

With all of that though, Kasumi and I were spending more time together. Dating on the weekends got extended to boring weekdays, which have been common for the past while.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking." I got up from my chair and walked over to her near the door, taking her in beautiful form in the tight black thief's outfit she always wore. "Didn't you say you have other outfits?" I asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"Don't you think you should wear something different once in a while?"

"What? I like it. I think it suits me."

"I'm not saying it doesn't. I'm just saying that one of these days we should go out with you wearing, you know, normal clothes."

She looked kind of shy as Terran called from the other side of the room.

"Uh guys! You're going to want to see this."

With the attention of Kat, Phil, Kasumi and myself, he typed a few keys and suddenly his terminal's hologram projected a 50' inch screen playing the Citadel News Net.

"-itnesses are saying they briefly spotted someone - said to be human - before he mysteriously disappeared after his murder. Five minutes later C-Sec was flooded with calls of another murder. Be warned that these images are extremely disturbing and parents should have their kids leave immediately."

There was a slight pause before the screen showed the "images" of the murder victim, covered in the traditional police tarp or in this case, tarps.

"Whoa!" Phil shouted at the sight of the victim in two pieces. Suddenly the idea of lunch didn't seem very intriguing. I let my brain catch up and listen to what was being said on the news. Another woman appeared on the screen and was identified as a psychologist named "Skylar".

"So do you think it's possible that this could be related to the infamous Christmas murders from last year?" Emily Wong asked.

"I can't confirm that is the case but I can say it's entirely possible. Usually serial killers will have one common thing running through their murders and this man seems to have a thing for killing people in a short time frame. So maybe this is the killer returning, maybe it's an imitator, maybe it's just a coincidence. As I said I can't confirm anything but the idea of the Xmas killer returning is a possibility."

"Thank you very much Doctor Skylar. We'll be following this story as it unfolds, for Citadel News Net, I'm Emily Wong."

* * *

><p>Within five minutes another high up gang member was killed and the rest of our team showed up at the base. The news was now just projecting people's reactions. Lucas had not been in the best of moods for the past few days and I could tell by the look on his face that this was not helping his case.<p>

"This doesn't make any fucking sense. Max Venturi was confirmed dead after Chellick and I hit the Blue Suns. The person who gave the orders got away, not the killer himself."

"Am I missing something?" Kat asked. Lucas was about to answer but was interrupted by Shea.

"Lucas and I worked on the Xmas murders and managed to trace them back to a guy named Max Venturi who was part of the Blue Suns. He was ordered to kill three higher-ups of the Citadel's gangs. Once we found out, we attacked the main Blue Suns HQ with Zion, disguised as Zion gang members since we weren't supposed to attack the base."

"And what happened?"

"I shot Max," Lucas said. "After he tried to take me down with a sniper. When we got to the top floor to take care of the person who gave the order, we found a message that said 'Close but no cigar'. The piece of shit knew he was going to get away."

"And you're sure Max Venturi was the killer?"

"Unless the Blue Suns send kill orders to their employers for shits and giggles, yes." He spat. "If you ask me, I think we've got an imitator here."

"But wouldn't he want to wait until December 25th if he was trying to be a copy cat?" Shea asked.

"He needs practice and what better way to learn than by doing?" Lucas started to walk over to the armory and pulled out a couple of weapons. "The Blue Suns were behind this last time so I think we should go have a little chat with them."

Shea stood and walked over to him. "Lucas, are you okay?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?" His face devoid of anything.

"Well, don't you think you're being a little serious about all of this?"

"I woke up this morning to find someone imitating a case I didn't complete. How should I feel?" he hissed, slamming a magazine into his BR before moving to get his armor ready. "If anybody wants to have a fun chat with the Suns, get your gear ready!"

* * *

><p>On the way to the Blue Suns HQ there were no jokes cracked, no pointless stunts. The entire trip went by in silence with no escape from Lucas' black cloud. Even though he was wearing a helmet and a full body of armor he seemed much more tense and threatening, not the laid back shy kid that I knew.<p>

Bjorn, Shea, Paul and myself were along for the mission. In other words, the people that knew Lucas the best. Even Terran wanted to come along but seeing as how we weren't planning to have a battle with the Blue Suns, there wasn't going to be anything there for him to hack. That and the fact Lucas apparently didn't appreciate his friend's concern.

I felt the vehicle slow down before it gentle landed onto the ground, parking right outside the Blue Suns base that had been shot up last year. The Suns sure knew how to hire workers; the building was already almost completely restored. We stepped out with none of our weapons equipped but my right hand hovered over my pistol's holster. We moved forward with Lucas taking point. I could see out of the corner of my eye that there were snipers in hidden towers with their weapons pointed at us. This didn't seem to bother Lucas as he approached the front door that had six guards with assault rifles trained on us.

"What are hell are you doing here?" A big Turian in the group said.

"I need to speak to your leader." Lucas said.

"She only takes meetings with people in the Suns, so I think you should go fuck yourself."

Lucas sighed. I could see that his hand was now hovering over his pistol. "You sure about that?"

"I don't give a shit about your name or reputation so yes, I'm sure."

It was easy to tell that the Turian's comrades didn't have the same confidence. Everyone in our squad had their hands hovering over their pistols in case these guys tried to do anything stupid. Lucas' hand reached down, about to pick up his weapon.

"Nax, stand down!" A female voice commanded from the other side of the door.

A blonde woman came out in Blue Suns armor but with a unique stripe pattern on her shoulders. "Our HQ's renovation is nearly complete. The last thing I need is for you to find a way to smash it up again."

Our enemies slowly put their weapons down.

"Yes, Ma'am." The Turian, Nax said with his head down.

The woman walked toward Lucas as the guards moved out of the way making a path for her. "Welcome to our base of operations Alcatraz. It is a real honor to meet you." She held her hand out, forcing the introduction. I couldn't blame Lucas for not returning the gesture. The woman pulled her hand away. "My name's Commander Jennifer Lake. I'm in charge of the base here."

"Have you been in charge for a while?" Lucas asked.

"Nope, just changed branches six months ago. Now if you want to talk further, I would prefer if you and your team would follow me to my office."

Lucas just gave a nod and Lake led the way. The Turian gave a growl that Lucas just ignored. After a slow and silent elevator ride we entered the top floor. Shea and Lucas seemed a little unnerved by the place since it was where the previous leader got away.

"I apologize for Nax's behavior, he's always been like that," Commander Lake said. Taking a seat behind her desk. "Can I interest you in a drink? We've got quite the selec..."

"Cut the shit," Lucas said. "Three high ranking mercs and gangs members are dead and the last person that did this was in the Blue Suns. So forgive me if I don't treat you with much respect."

I was becoming even more unnerved by Lucas' serious tone now but it didn't faze the Commander. She just sat in her chair and stared, completely silent.

"Very well. I assume you're looking for info on the Xmas killer copycat?" she asked.

"How do you know it's a copycat?"

"Because I know who did it."

"Who?"

"Jason Drag."

Everyone did a double take on the Commander. She wasn't joking.

"Johnny Drag's brother?" Lucas asked.

"After what you did to Johnny he got pulled in by C-Sec. It gave the Feds a reason to check him out again, to see why he was getting attention from people like you. They found stacks of drugs and illegal weapon mods, enough to put the guy in a box for years. You know first hand that Johnny isn't a tough guy. As a result there's been multiple reports of Johnny being beaten up during his time in the slammer. His brother isn't pleased."

"He copycats the Xmas Killer so he can protect his brother in prison? Isn't that a stretch?"

"Did you know who his victims were?"

"Not much other then what I said before."

"All of his victims were people that screwed him and his brother over in the past. The Drags have made a lot of enemies over the years. If I were in your shoes, I'd speak to someone in the Drags."

Lucas' interest was piqued. "Thanks for your time Jennifer." He turned and headed back to the elevator, with everyone following his footsteps. Reluctantly.

* * *

><p>So based on the information we got from Commander Lake, we took the next step and hatched a plan. Unfortunately, Lucas insisted that he would be the one taking the lead and due to his recent symptoms of douche-baggery, the result was a plan that involved kidnapping.<p>

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Paul asked.

"I don't think we can just walk in and politely ask Jason Drag to let me beat the shit out of him," replied Lucas.

I spotted Shea getting up to say something. When Lucas suddenly made a break for the door and stepped outside. Shea sighed, leaning towards the wall with his arms outstretched.

"What the fuck is wrong with him?" he asked.

"I don't know." Replied a normally reticent Bjorn. "Whatever it is, it definitely has to do with Magna. It was only after that case he's been acting like this."

"He said that he had to defend himself against Magna right?" Shea asked me.

I nodded.

"Well, what if he didn't?"

I could see that the thought bothered them as much as it did me. It made the most sense, yet my head still tried to find a way to prove it was wrong.

"That's what I've been thinking." I said. Everyone looked up at me. "It was only after then was he ever so..."

Suddenly, a human body hit the wall of the shuttle and slid down to the floor. We all jumped, seeing a young, short, dark-haired human. I was about to voice my questioning thoughts when Lucas loudly entered the shuttle, bearing a pair of handcuffs.

"Harsh."

* * *

><p>And things were about to get worse. The guy Lucas had thrown in was Micky, a rookie in the Drag Brothers clan who had risen through the ranks quickly. That meant he could possibly know something about Jason, enough to warrant Lucas tying the guy upside down with chains in an abandoned factory in the ghost townshithole area of Zakera. After he set everything up he walked outside of the factory to see us, standing next to the window perfectly displaying the disturbing scene.

"Don't you think you're taking this a little, you know, much?" Bjorn asked.

"Fear's the best weapon and I need the information he has." Lucas shrugged. "Stay out here and watch for anybody approaching the area."

"Uh, shouldn't you have someone else assist? Like, good cop, bad cop?" I asked, not liking where this was going.

"Nope." He walked inside.

"There's nobody even out here!" Paul said, rushing toward Lucas before the door shut.

He tried hitting it's hologram but it just emitted a denying beep sound. "Fuck!" Paul slammed his fist on the locked door.

Without Terran, Lia, Kasumi or Kat, all we could do was watch. Micky was swinging around, trying to reach the chains, drenched in sweat while he was muttering to himself.

"Lets talk," Lucas announced, walking toward the Drag member.

"Stay away from me Alcatraz! I've got friends you know!"

"That's funny because I was about to ask you about one friend in particular." Lucas grabbed a small metal pipe on the ground. "Tell me anything and everything you know about Jason Drag."

Micky chuckled humorlessly. "If I tell you anything about Jason he'll kill me."

His chuckling was halted as Lucas put the metal pipe into his mouth, shutting the man up. "If you don't tell me anything I'll shove this piece through your skull." Micky's breathing through his noise became more panicked, Lucas took the pipe out. Micky breathed out in relief. Just then Lucas suddenly hit the man in the chest with the pipe. Micky cried out, coughing as he tried to regain his normal breathing pattern. Lucas walked away, toward a table.

"I swear I don't know anything!" Micky coughed.

"If you're going to talk, say something useful." Lucas sighed and hit a switch on a table.

"It's the truth! I don't know shit!"

The machine that Lucas activated started to turn red, as if the thing was heating up. _Wait, oh crap. _Micky and I seemed to come to same conclusion as he spotted Lucas.

"What's the oven for?"

Lucas walked away from the heating machine and reached for his knife, holding it in his left hand with the pipe in his right. He remained silent and stopped behind Micky. He drew the knife toward Micky's back and slowly made a cut in the middle. Micky winced but only made small grunts from the pain. Lucas proceeded to slice more cuts on the man's back.

"What the fuck is this?" Micky asked frantically. Lucas stopped after he made nine cuts on the man's back before walking back to the oven. By now the machine was red hot with smoke drifting from the heat. He set the end of the pipe down until it was as red as the surface. Lucas turned and walked back to his victim. Micky was getting more terrified by the second. He wasn't the only one.

"I swear I don't know anything, just plea..."

Lucas pressed the hot end of the pipe on three of the cuts. Micky screamed as his blood cells were being cooked.

"Mother fucker!" His voice echoed off the walls as Lucas placed the pipe on the next three cuts. "Oh my God! Okay, okay! I'll tell you anything, anything, anything you want!" He cried out. Lucas moved the pipe as Micky sighed in relief as did I.

"Okay, uh, there, there, there was..." He screamed again as Lucas hit him with the pipe.

"Get on with it!" yelled Lucas.

I couldn't stand watching this anymore. I smashed the window and vaulted over the edge. The others did the same as we rushed to Lucas-Turned-Psycho.

"Stop!"

Lucas didn't respond. He prepared to swing at Micky. I forced the pipe out of his hands, clanking sounds echoed off the walls. "You're going to fucking kill the guy!"

"I said I would if he didn't tell me anything!" Lucas yelled back.

Micky interrupted me. "I saw Jason leaving just before lunch alright!"

"Where did he go?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know, he didn't tell me! And he must have not wanted anybody to know because all of his communications were disabled."

"Did you notice him acting differently?"

"He's been pissed ever since you gave Johnny that beating."

"Pissed enough to kill?"

"He's killed people for his brother before so I don't know. Sure!"

Lucas sighed loudly and started to walk away from the hellish scene he'd created. I caught up to him.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To kill the little rodent that Jason Drag is." He hissed.

I grabbed him. "No! You're going way too fucking far with this! Why don't you just get Micky to make a statement to C-Sec?"

"And take the chance that they don't do shit?"

"Waiting a few days won't stop you from getting Jason. Either C-Sec finds evidence and charges him for life or they say No and we take him down ourselves. It's a win win outcome!" I yelled, trying to get him to see the big picture. I didn't want to kill Jason but hoped it would satisfy Lucas enough to get him to stay away. Lucas looked at Micky.

"Will you do that?"

Micky frantically nodded.

"Good, because if you don't, you're a fucking dead man. Do you understand me?"

Micky nodded, his sweat forming a puddle on the floor. Lucas walked away from the scene and made his way outside. Leaving me and the others alone with the high, sexist, cowardly dealer that I now felt pity for.

**Now Playing : Matthew Harwood (Homefront OST) - Burnt Oasis**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Again, I'm sorry this took so much longer than it should have but my mother was gone for the past four days. Meaning that I couldn't get this chapter proof read and therefore it would have sucked. Also, I want to thank Feeloves for letting me cameo her SI character from "Fate Rewritten: Vertigo". If you haven't read it, go check it out, it's one of the better stories on the site. With that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you next time, PEACE.<strong>


	17. Chapter 17 : Blood Opera

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 17 : Blood Opera**

**September 20th, 2182**

**7:45 PM, Citadel Time**

**Terran's Apartment, Zakera Ward**

**(Terran)**

It had been hours since our prisoner Micky made his statement about Jason Drag and tonight's murders. Normally everyone would get together, pop a couple sodas, open a bag of chips, laugh about how much our victim sucked and we kicked ass, poke a stick at the person who did the least, etc. That didn't happen this time. All we got was a pissed-off Lucas shredding his armor off and going back to his place to find a way to OD on corn syrup.

Lia had sensed my mood the instant I stepped inside our place earlier. Things with us were going great. We'd go out, she'd feel selfish anytime I made her spend more then five bucks on something. She had more than enough money to get something for her pilgrimage, we also had another "Session" as soon as her first reaction went away. Yet I still felt like crap at the end of the day and I wasn't the only one. As a result, Paul, Bjorn, Josh, Shea and myself had arranged a meet up at Purgatory. They had already left to get seating while I remained clear up some things at the base. I was putting on a sweater when Lia walked up to me.

"I can come with you. He's my friend too."

"I know, it's just. He hasn't been acting like himself recently and I think that if it was just his old friends, he'll recognize the problem. I've known him since fifth grade. Bjorn and Paul have known him since before that. Hell, Josh has known him since kindergarten."

"That's the pre-school education right?" She slowly asked.

I nodded and gave a smile. "You're so cute when you're nervous."

She playfully punched my arm in response, making me wince and mouth "Ow" from the impact. _I need to toughen up sometime. _

"Just give him a chance, okay?" she asked. "I thought you would change after the whole thing with, well...you know." She hung her head down slightly. I reached out and titled her head up and looked into her eyes.

"I did change. But I'm still here, and I'm not going anywhere."

I could see her worry fly away as she took my hand and moved it to her waist. She moved closer for a full embrace. Both of us stared into each other like there was nothing else around. It was moments like these that made me want to rip that helmet off...

Loud knocks came from the door. "Terran, let's go before more assholes get in line!"

I sighed and slowly parted ways with Lia.

"I'll see you soon."

I left Lia and stepped outside. I found that Lucas was already heading to the elevator with his back turned.

_Okay, I know he normally acts like an asshole but this is really pushing it._

* * *

><p>Lines. Lines suck.<p>

I don't like to spend my time spotting everything that sucks in life but it's hard to think of one good thing about queues. They're long, they're boring, you're forced to stand up, usually on hard floors. You can't move around and it's even worse when you're with a person who isn't in the best of moods. I tried to get Lucas to talk since there was nothing else to do other than listen to the stomping bass coming from the club, but he was still dodging everything.

I was still hopeful he would put this stuff behind us so we could just hang out. The people in front of us had finally entered, moving past the Krogan bouncer. We walked up. The bouncer put his arm out, stopping us in our tracks.

"What are you humans doing?" He asked in the usual Krogan way. Bored and pissed off.

"What do you think we're doing? We're trying to get in." Lucas replied with a snarky tone.

"It costs money to get in here."

"Yeah I'm of aware of that. The fact that I have a credit chit in my hand kind of proves it." Lucas gestured.

"Having money doesn't stop me from saying you two wasters need to get out." The Krogan raised his voice.

"And being a fat lizard doesn't stop me from saying you need to go fuck yourself," Retorted Lucas.

Distracted by gasps from the people behind me the Krogan grabbed me by the shirt and threw me off the ground. I landed hard and rolled over a few times before coming to a stop. Coughing, I rolled onto my back, trying to get my breathing under control.

As the shock from the pain started to recede, I saw Lucas on his feet and looking at me. His anger contained. Like he was getting ready for something.

"Lucas, it's okay. We can get the others to meet us somewhere else and we'll all be happy."

"I'll fucking show him happy." He made his way back to the bouncer.

_Oh no._

Lucas trained his eyes to the floor until he was a few feet away from the Krogan. The big lizard seemed amused by my friend's return.

"Still haven't got the message?" He asked.

"No, I've got it. You're just a real piece of shit, that's all."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't get me wrong, your ability to stand in front of an entrance is astounding. But I get the sense that you came here to seek fame and fortune. To return to your peoples home world and tell them great tales of your adventures. But you found out that you didn't have the ability to achieve those goals. You weren't even good enough for a decent paying Mercenary job." The Krogan's eyes were becoming more enraged as Lucas continued. Meanwhile my friend reached down his pocket to press something. I knew it was the jamming device we all carried. "In other words, you're a complete and total fuck-up. A being so pathetic that even by the standards of his own species, is not worth killing."

The bouncer couldn't stomach it. He threw out a punch aimed right for Lucas' head who dodged it and kicked the Krogan's exposed chest, followed by a quick punch to the guy's neck. The Krogan was briefly stunned, giving Lucas enough time to spot the knife holstered on the lizard's hip. Lucas took the blade out of its holder just as the Krogan went for another punch. Lucas dodged the hit again and immediately went for a stab, hitting the alien right on the side of his body. The Krogan yelled as Lucas immediately took the knife out and went for another hit, this time getting him on the back. The Krogan had the same reaction as before when Lucas then started stabbing the man at the rate of a machine gun. The Krogan yelled in pain, falling down onto all fours, still trying to get Lucas turned Johnny Quid off him.

Lucas finally stopped as the Krogan dropped to the floor. Still breathing but surrounded a whole lot of orange blood. Lucas knelt down in front of him.

"You are going to go think things through again. Repair your mistakes and go somewhere else where your life could be considered decent. Because if you don't, this wont be the only time you'll look at me with your face on the floor. And you can say goodbye to that head plate of yours." Lucas dropped the bloody knife on its owner and walked away from the mess.

Everyone in the line-up were in the same state of shock as myself. Lucas walked up and lifted me up to feet.

"Tell the others to meet us at the shuttle."

* * *

><p>"What the fuck was that!" Josh exclaimed as we took off in the shuttle. "We sit around waiting just to find out that you beat the living shit out of some random Krogan!"<p>

"Oh, I see!" Lucas replied. "So what I should have done was completely ignore some prick attacking my friend!"

"Did you really have to nearly stab him to death?"

"He's got a point," Paul added from the cockpit.

"Those fat fucking lizards have punches like wrecking balls. I wasn't going to stand around and look at it with a grin on my face!"

"That doesn't change the fact you went way too far." Shea said, standing from his seat. "What ever happened to only when you don't have a choice?"

"I did what I had to!"

"No you didn't. You did it for your own sake, to the point of nearly being fucking psychotic!"

"Gaining Intel on a well known murder and protecting a friend is 'fucking psychotic'?" Lucas gestured at me as he said "friend". The only thing I could give in return was a blank stare. He didn't do that to protect me. He used it as an opportunity.

"When you tie someone up in a way that would make Dexter cringe, yeah!"

Lucas shook his head and sighed. "Paul, stop at the next transit station."

"Where the hell are you going?"

"Back home. Get a pizza, pop a soda, surf the extranet, anything other then deal with your bullshit," he hissed before opening the door and jumping onto the ground ten feet below. He stomped his way over to the station to get a cab back. Shea shook his head before reaching for the door and shutting it, leaving the rest of us in silence, bearing the same tired and expressionless face as Bjorn had since taking his seat.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

After all the crap that had happened I needed to release something. Not rage, I had expressed that to my little Krogan buddy back at Purgatory. No, I needed something that would release all of the pent up stress inside me. Unfortunately, the obvious wasn't really available for selection and my fridge didn't contain the next obvious choice.

I decided to make do with what I had and collapsed on the couch. I activated my hologram projector, displaying Citadel News Net. They were still talking about today's triple murder and debating whether or not they had something to do with the Xmas Killer. This time it was some lawyer talking with Emily Wong about the old case I partially finished all those months ago. Though there conversation quickly became disturbing.

"The note C-Sec found was the only piece of evidence that linking Max Venturi to those murders," the lawyer said to Emily. "Anybody can write an e-mail pretending to be someone else."

"So you're saying Max Venturi wasn't the killer?" asked Emily.

"Precisely. I believe whoever this elusive higher up is, is the real person behind the triple homicides."

My father was into conspiracy theories so I was used to questioning what anyone said since about 95% of the theories out there were completely wrong. Yet this man's statement struck a cord. I got up from the couch and walked over to my terminal. I clicked on my cold case files and opened up the Xmas murders profile. The man on the telly was right; the key piece of evidence was the kill order to Max Venturi. But the note could have been written by anyone and there was no way to show that Max Venturi was the one who caused the massacre, hell it could have been anyone.

_Anyone..._

I sat thinking back to what Commander Lake had said. "Just changed branches six months ago." I opened up the protocol for getting into C-Sec's data center that Terran had given us. Once I entered I brought up the I.D. Database, typing in "Jennifer Lake" into the search bar. After filling out the rest of the information like race, gender, etc, I hit Enter. Immediately the system brought up a picture of the female Commander wearing civilian clothes. There were no criminal charges or arrests but one thing stood out. The database said her identity was registered on March 12th. About six months ago.

_That bitch!_

I practically leaped from my chair and made a break for the door, stomping my way in the corridor back to the base. It was completely vacant. Either everybody else was out and about or in their apartments. _All the better for me. _I didn't want them along. It was my case and I needed to end it. I put one of the carrying cases on the table and started to layout my armor inside. The thing wasn't big enough to hold my normal Sniper, BR and Pistol configuration so I had to stick with just the latter. Not that it mattered. I wasn't planning to go in guns blazing anyway. Once everything was in place I closed the snaps on the case, walked out of the lair and made my way down the hall before stopping in the elevator.

Part of me had thought about calling for some backup but I decided against it. In my mind they were being utter twats. I stepped into the lobby once the elevator's door's opened, greeted by the typical galactic station vibe as I stepped out to make a break for the nearest transit station. There was a pack of X3M skycars waiting. I reached into my pocket and activated my jammer before opening the door for the vehicle. I hit the coordinates for the Blue Suns' HQ and within seconds the car lifted into the air on auto pilot, allowing me the time to equip my gear.

* * *

><p>Dark outside, almost nine o'clock, barely any guards on night shifts. <em>Perfect. <em>I'll admit I wasn't the best when it came to stealth but I felt different today. Most of the guards at the building were in fairly obvious areas and they looked both tired and bored. A winning combination in my book. I slid on the silencer I packed with my pistol and set out. I broke into a quiet sprint as I was still a little way's from the building. I kept my eye on the building's floors, watching for any guards. Thankfully they were non existent and soon enough my back was against the wall just outside the entrance, where two guards stood out in front. One of which was a Turian or more specifically, the Turian I had encountered when I went to talk to Commander Lake.

_I'm going to enjoy this._

I quickly ran toward the guard next to the Turian. Before he could say anything I delivered a blow to the back of his head and pushed his body forward, hitting the ground. The Turian took notice and went to grab his pistol. I grabbed the arm which wielded his weapon and pulled him toward me, kicking him in the chest just as I let go of his arm, causing him to stagger to the ground and fall on his back. He raised his arm to fire when I kicked the weapon away, knelt down to him and aimed my pistol at his neck.

"I knew you were up to something!" he hissed.

"And that concerns me how?"

"You're a fucking degenerate! Preying on other people just so you can get your ki..."

I slammed my pistol onto his face, blue blood flowing from it. "I spend my time protecting unappreciative shitheads like you working for someone like the Xmas Killer."

He started laughing out of disbelief. "What! Have you finally lost?"

"Did you ever find out who she replaced when she took charge here?"

The Turian's expression dimmed as he pondered my question. I smirked as it came full circle for him. "Didn't think so." I rammed my weapon deeper to his neck, just about to pull the trigger when I heard the faint sound of footsteps echoing nearby. I looked up to see nobody but I traced the sound. It was behind the main door and getting closer.

_Shit!_

Shooting my two victims wasn't an option, the person nearby would be kindly greeted to a puddle of mixed blood colors when he opened the door. I saw a small hidden pocket next to the building. Before the Turian could shout I slammed his face again, knocking him out. I grabbed one of his arms and started to pull him to the hidden area. I set the body down and quickly shoved his legs into the shadows before returning to my first victim, starting to panic as the footsteps became closer. I threw the body into the spot and placed my back against the solid wall. The instant I did, the door opened. I didn't move an inch or take a breath."

The hairs on my skin stood as straight as a cadet when the man's footsteps edged closer. I pulled my knife out of its sleeve and lie in wait for the trooper to enter. As I was about to rush out of my cover the sounds stopped. I could feel the man's presence less than five feet away with only the corner blocking me from his view. My lungs needed air, as the man stood thinking. If my heart beat had been any louder he would have found me.

"Lazy bastards." The man sighed before making his way back to the door.

As soon as it shut I finally gasped for air. I calmed down as I put my knife back in its place before stepping out of the shadows and making my way to the door. The lobby was big and brightly lit. Thankfully, the guards had dispersed and the area was completely open. I thought back to the elevator that Lake had taken us to, left of the lobby. I still had my jammer on me, meaning I couldn't be caught on cameras. I peeked to see if there were any onlookers. As far as I could tell there wasn't a single soul watching. I knew there still could be somebody on the floors above me but by then I didn't care.

I rushed through the lobby on tip toes, still hearing a bit of an echo before stepping into an open elevator. I hit the close door button and soon enough could feel myself asending to the top floor. I checked to see if my pistol was ready to go. If all went to plan, I would just need one round. I would have loved for her to rot in prison but she would have been long gone before C-Sec could do anything. Hell, they were still researching Micky's statement.

The doors opened and I quickly glanced in both directions before making my way to the Commander's office. The soft carpet below my feet muffled the noise as I aimed the pistol at every corner I saw, just in case. With no sign of the Xmas Killer in any of the other rooms, I made a B-line for her room in front of me. With my legs moving faster in tangent with my pulse I opened the door. Only to be greeted by the sight of an empty office chair in front of a terminal. Before I spat out any profanities, I took in the fact that the lights in her office were still on, meaning she couldn't have left. I just had to wait for her to return. To pass the time I had to search and her terminal was the obvious place to start. The computer was logged in so no hacking was required. I clicked the mouse to bring the machine out of its sleep mode. The computer displayed a wall of text, no icons behind it.

"Close but no cigar."

I heard the sound of an armed weapon, inches from my head, followed by a female voice.

"Guilty as charged."

**Now Playing : Cliff Lin - Blood Opera**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : I was originally going to conclude the character arc in this chapter but it would have been far too long if I did that. Besides, cliffhangers are fun...for me, MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and be sure to show some support if you did. PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. There's two things I should mention. For those that don't know, Empeorie is no longer updating his stories on FF. So in order to keep his series "So You're In A Self Insert?" going, he gave me the task of writing the final instalment. I've already got an outline for it but as to when I actually start it is up in the air. Maybe I'll start it next week, maybe I'll start it next month. Which is the same thing as next week.**

**Also, I finished the EC yesterday like so many other people. If you want to see my thoughts on it, I wrote a full post on the Bioware forums that you can read here : social . bioware forum/1/topic/355/index/12782308/1#12792210 (Remove Spaces)**


	18. Chapter 18 : Solomon

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 18 : Solomon**

**September 20th, 2182**

**9:45 PM, Citadel Time**

**Flux, Zakera Ward**

**(Shea)**

I didn't know why we were at Flux but I think it had something to do with the fact that the club didn't have any bouncers to speak of. I was still having a hard time coping with Lucas' brutality. It didn't matter how many times we changed the subject, it always drifted back to the elephant in the room. When my Omni-tool started to ring I was actually thankful; maybe a telemarketer could shift my displeasure elsewhere. To my surprise the call was actually from Phil.

"Phil, what's up?" I asked.

"Uh, we might have a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"Like, Kat came to my apartment to tell me that Lucas left the base with a crate containing guns and armor."

"What?"

"Here, I'll explain," replied the distinct flanged voice of Kat said on the same line. "I was in the base when Lucas barged in. He was so focused on getting his gear ready he didn't even notice I was in the room. Naturally I curious, so then I broke into his house."

"Yeah...wait what?"

"I looked at the history on his Terminal's browser and found that he was looking at files for 'Jennifer Lake', a Blue Suns Commander."

"Turns out she only appeared on the Citadel six months ago," Phil added.

"Other than that there's nothing else except some cold case file," said Kat.

My brain started to depressurize and catch up. "Wait, which file was he looking at?" Everyone else at the table halted their conversation as they tried to listen in on mine.

"He was looking at the Xmas Killer case files," Phil responded.

The connections were not hard to add up.

"Okay, I want you two to wait for me and the others. Be sure to have your gear ready. I think I already know where Lucas went."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I may have tied people's hands up as cop but I never experienced it myself. First off, it's more uncomfortable when tied to a chair, so at least I had the decency to let scumbags move around. Second, I tied up people who committed more sins in a day than I had in my entire life. Well, maybe entire week but that's not the point. Point is, I now knew first hand what it was like to get tied up by the crazy bitch that was the Xmas Killer.

She was packing some things into a bag as I struggled to break free from my handcuffs. Jennifer Lake only chuckled at my attempts.

"What did he do?" I asked.

"I might need some context on that one, hero."

I really hated it when she called me that. "Max Venturi. All of your other murders were connected to high ranking mercenary or gang members. Max was practically your team's hit man. Why would you use him to take the fall?"

"Venturi was a sharp one, I'll give him that. He knew something was going on in my fucked up head. I just did what I had to."

"So I guess I'm kind of screwed here."

Lake put on a smile and slowly walked in front of me, swaying her hips until she sat down on my lap. This all would have been very sexy if I didn't know she got her kicks by cutting people in half.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I actually have a lot of respect for you. It's just a shame you couldn't let me perform my deeds in peace."

"What did you expect from me?"

"I expected you to arrive with your team. Instead you came by yourself. That tells me, something happened." She grinned, moving closer and dropping her voice. She moved her hand around my head as she continued. "Not to them. No, you have anger but not that kind of anger. It has to do with you. You and all of your pent up emotions. Emotions that you go as far as trying to stop people like me to hide. It must eat you alive knowing that you came so close to catching me."

I took advantage of the fact I was wearing a helmet and she wasn't. I head butted her with all of the force I could muscle. Lake landed hard on the carpet floor, the mark I made on her head emitting a red stain. But the rage and growling I'd expected from a psycho like Lake never came. Instead she just laid there with a devious look on her face. She got to her feet like she was waking up from bed and moved to get the last piece missing from her bag, a custom M-77 pistol. Her eyes saw through my visor.

"Well, I guess there's nothing more to say."

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

On the way to the Blue Suns HQ there were no jokes cracked, no pointless stunts made, nothing. The entire trip went by in silence as there was no escape from the void that was Lucas' empty seat. Upon landing at the base, we stepped out with all of our weapons equipped. Approaching the front entrance, I placed my back against the wall, with Shea, Bjorn, Paul and Kasumi. Kat, Phil, Shakiel, Lia and even Terran - who was just following - got ready on the other side.

"Alright, we'll split up into teams of two and search each floor. If anyone gets in the way, shoot 'em. Ready?"

"Synced."

We gave Kat a double take. "I mean, ready."

I slammed my fist on the hologram and we busted into the lobby, greeted by nothing but the echoes of our own footsteps. Confused, I saw Kat walk and vault over the lobby's terminal desk, presumably to look at security footage or data logs. She looked up.

"All of the guards and workers have left."

"Alright, search every room to see if Lucas is anywhere. Bjorn, let's go."

We went to the elevator as everybody else scattered. I hit a button and the small space closed it's doors, ascending to Lake's office in a calm silence. We immediately broke out of the confined space when the doors opened and moved down the hallway. Seeking something to either rescue or shoot. With no sign of anyone we came across Lake's office. Taking cover behind each side we silently nodded and I hit the hologram. The room was pitch black.

"Lucas!" I called out.

"Right here!" A familiar voice replied.

Bjorn found a light switch and let it show our friend tied up in a chair. Normally we would have thrown a quib at him but I didn't want to push the line farther than it had already been pushed.

"Lake's gone. I'm unharmed. Except I feel like some Emo kid is having a fucking field day with my wrists."

Bjorn went to remove the handcuffs while I did a double take after his sentence. _Is he back?_

"How did you know where I was?" he asked.

"Kat broke into your house and sent the info along to Shea."

"Of course she did. Tell her I said thanks."

"Are you okay?" Bjorn asked, putting the real question out in the open, to which he unlocked the handcuffs. Despite Lucas being freed, he kept his hands at his sides while his head focused on the ground. Finally he sighed and got up.

"No...but thanks for asking."

_He's back. I hope._

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

There was something amazing about being up at three AM, even when I was in an entirely different universe. People with late-hour jobs were gone, people with early-morning jobs weren't up yet, the crack heads were confined. I would always get irritated with my step-father's sleep walking back home, because he was intruding upon my lair. A lair which had no phone, dogs, people, cars or noise. It was just me, thinking, working stuff out.

And at the moment I needed silence more than ever. The bench outside of a make shift park a block away from apartment became my new best friend. Hours later the artificial sun started to rise, the only thing of mine that moved being my shadow. I began to hear footsteps closing in on me. I turned around to see Bjorn walking toward me with two cups in his hands. One small and the other the size of a Double Gulp.

"You and your fucking tea." I groaned, only now realizing how raspy my voice was, or how soar my muscles were. Bjorn chuckled as he sat next to me on the bench and handed me the small cup. I took it, immediately pleased with the warm feeling around my hands. "Thanks."

He nodded before taking a sip from his dreadnought sized cup. I did the same as we both stared off in the distance.

"What?" I asked, breaking the silence. "No accusations? No telling me that I fucked up?"

"I figured I can't say anything that will actually have any effect so...yeah." Bjorn shrugged, taking another gulp of his tea. "Though, there is one thing I've been wondering." He looked at me. "She had you tied up and we weren't able to get to you for a long period of time. So why did she let you live? Not that I'm complaining or anything but...you know."

"If she killed me I wouldn't have to live with the fact that she got away and will kill again, because of me. Because I was too stupid to realize that I can't do this on my own. I've always believed in owning up your mistakes but this is on a whole different scale." The biggest challenge I had to live up to was being a douchebag thirteen year old. But what's a change in personality that happens to everyone compared to becoming a killer?

"I'm sure you'll get through it. I mean, you always have. Why stop now, right?"

I nodded and Bjorn took that as his cue to leaving.

Sure this was on a whole new scale but the scale had already sky-rocketed a while back. I lost my parents, my home, my life. Emotionally, each of the things I lost was like a knife wound, digging in slowly. Yet faced it, because the only other option was to keep it all locked up, like most people. The truth that most people don't like to admit is that the lock they keep will eventually snap, and whatever is behind it will hit them that much harder.

Knowing what to do with a clarity I had missed, I got up from the bench, ignoring my aching muscles and made my way to the transit station.

* * *

><p>I opened the car's door and stepped outside of the Zion HQ. More specifically, the alleyway where Magna was killed. Where I killed him. I remember thinking how silly it was in movies when characters would see silhouettes of their younger selves, until I got to experience it first hand. Back when I visited an old putting green outside of Surrey, BC. This was that experience all over again, my memories filling in all of the people, the gun fire, the chaos when I was running through the center. All of my actions fueled entirely by reaction, when I shot Magna in the chest, when I dodged the car Paul had shot down, when I put the final round through Magna's skull. When he used my rage against me, to do something I would regret, no matter how right it was on paper.<p>

After a few minutes of walking around I came across that very spot, marked by the stain of Magna's blood. I had to give the man credit, he had the gift of taking control. Not just of himself, but of others. He broke through my barriers and all he had to do was say a few words. I had to live with this now and there were two things I could do with it. Let it control me, let it destroy me; take me to hell where Magna can laugh at my loss, or let me control it, let me take strength from it.

The choice was obvious, after all I didn't believe in a Hell.

* * *

><p>Now it was time for the part I was dreading. I heard that most of the others were playing a free-for-all match at Paul's place. It'd be a good spot to grant them the apology I had been rehearsing in my head. I stepped inside to see everybody sitting in their own spots with holographic screens in front of them. Bjorn noticed my entrance into the apartment, which set off the chair reaction with everyone else.<p>

"I'm sorry. I went too far, completely going against what I've I said. I've violated your trust and there's nothing you can say that will make me feel worse than I already do. I'm not expecting you to forgive everything overnight. I just want you to know, I am very, very sorry." I let my confession settle in with everyone as the room kept a peaceful silence.

"That's all I've come to say." With the only sound being my footsteps, I made my way to the door. Until Shea spoke up.

"Hey," I stopped and turned around. "You up for a 4v4?"

_It's good to be back. _"Sure. Why the hell not?" I made my way to the couch and booted up my Omni-tool with a smile. I let out a sigh of relief as the feeling of acceptance and camaraderie replaced anger and loneliness.

Then the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Paul called out, hopping from the couch and making his way to shut the bell up. The door opened two familiar faces, with police badges.

"Ian, Garrus. What are you doing here?" Paul asked.

"We're looking for Lucas." Garrus said as he and Ian moved past Paul.

I was about to ask what was going on when Ian answered for me.

"Lucas Raycevich, you're under arrest."

**Now Playing : Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki (Battlefield 3 OST) - Solomon's Theme**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : I was originally going to save this plot point for later but it'd only make sense that C-Sec would be onto me. Interestingly enough, after this, there's only about three more cases. My goal is to get this story done by the end of August but I guess we'll see whether or not that actually happens. As always thanks for reading and be sure to let me know what you thought of this chapter, PEACE.<strong>


	19. Chapter 19 : Deeper

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 19 : Deeper**

**September 21st, 2182**

**12:00 PM, Citadel Time**

**Interrogation Room #2, C-Sec Academy**

I would have thought that after all these years in the future that they would have had built in air conditioning. Being in one of these rooms reminded me why I tried to keep my interrogations to a minimum. They used fragrance to hide the awful smells these kind of rooms pick up overtime. Unfortunately it was just as unpleasant as the sweaty, stinky, shitheads it was supposed to cover up.

Before I gagged to death Ian and Garrus finally walked through the door, Ian taking a seat in front of me and Garrus leaning on the wall, classic.

"Do you know why you're here Lucas?"

"What? Not 'Mr. Raycevich'."

"I think we've known you long enough to ignore formalities." Ian said firmly.

I sighed and nodded, knowing they weren't going to tolerate my usual shenanigans.

"Do you know Gatatog Gimli?" Ian asked.

I feigned thought before shaking my head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Garrus stood and tossed a datapad on the table. It revealed an overhead picture of a brutally stabbed Krogan outside Purgatory. "This man." Garrus said, trying to scare me.

I sighed and nodded seeing the photo. "Yeah, I know him; well sort of."

"Why did you assault him?" Ian asked.

I kept a blank face as Ian began the initial confrontation phase of the interrogation. "What?"

"Why did you assault him?"

"I didn't."

"Really?" Garrus injected. "Because we've got an entire line-up of witnesses seeing you shred this guy with a knife."

"And I'm sure those same people also witnessed the Krogan throwing the first punch. Those fists are like old wrecking balls so I took the man's knife to defend myself."

"When we got there he was on the ground in a puddle of his own blood," Ian argued. "If it wasn't for the fact that medics were nearby he would have died."

"We both know how those bastards are, Gimli or whoever he is wasn't going to stop until I was in a bag."

"Then why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know, probably because you've got the Executor's stick up your ass. That may also be why you and Batman are still interrogating me rather then verifying my story."

Ian looked surprised while Garrus seemed confused. They both got up and left me alone with the revolting fumes. Before my thoughts entered _RANT_ mode however I could hear voices on the other side of the wall but I couldn't make out what they were saying. What I could register was Ian's accent along with a distinctive flanged voice - Garrus - as well as an older sounding Turian, Executor Pallin.

_What was Pallin doing here if this was just an assault charge? Did he want to punish me for leaving C-Sec? If that was the case he should have gotten on board a long time ago._ The voices stopped and soon I really was alone again. _Why can't they have a bed or something for me to lay on?_

After waiting way longer than I should the door opened, revealing Ian.

"You're free to go."

"What? Just like that?"

"There's no evidence to support that you attacked first, you're off the hook." He said tiredly before leaving.

I got up from my chair quickly to try to catch up with him but when I got out of the room I came to find no trace of him, like he just vanished. Deciding to put it off I walked through the hallways I used to be oh so familiar with before spotting one of the elevators in the main lobby. The door opened to reveal a group of at least a dozen officers. I raised an eyebrow when one of the officers looked at me, instantly gesturing something to the other officers, causing them to walk in the opposite direction.

Confusion rising, I walked into the empty elevator and scrolled through my contact list, sending a message to Terran saying that I would be back soon.

* * *

><p>Arriving at the hallway I was familiar with, I made my way to the door of my apartment to find Terran and Shea waiting.<p>

"Hey guys, what's going on?" I asked.

"You're going to want to see this." Terran gestured to step inside.

I followed to see pillows on the coach, kitchen utensils, everything in my shelves and a bunch of other shit scattered. "What the fuck happened here?"

"You can thank Citadel Security," Shea said. "After Ian and Garrus took you away about a dozen other officers came by and searched every little nook and cranny."

"Because of an assault charge?"

"That's what I thought," Terran said. "So I asked one of the officers if they had a warrant. They did but they wouldn't let us read the whole thing, only the signature from court. So I broke into the C-Sec database while they were busy so I could read the whole thing." Terran suddenly seemed hesitant. "The list of crimes on the warrant started around April and May."

_Around the time we...oh shit._

"They think you're Alcatraz," Shea voiced for me.

It was all clear, like a blindfold coming off. The Executor must have made the connection with my beating on the Krogan as myself and my beating on Micky as Alcatraz. Then brought Ian and Garrus on the case due to us being friends. Kat's father had been after us for quite some time but it was no wonder he wanted to search my place as soon as he had the chance. Too bad he thought I would do something as silly as hide weapons and a suit of armor in my own apartment.

"So what now?" Terran asked, grabbing some drinks from the fridge.

I was already scrolling through my contact list. "We put the pigs back where they belong." I hit Call when I got to Ian's name. Seconds later I could hear him on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Ian, it's me. We need to talk."

* * *

><p>Due to the interrogation earlier Ian was on a late lunch. Since he was Mr. Parkour runner, I suggested we meet on a rooftop near the Academy. Now I was making my way up the stairs that lead to the building's rooftop door. Opening it revealed a beautiful vista with sun rays reflecting off of each tower block. It also revealed Ian turning around to see me. He wasn't as pretty.<p>

Ian was about to give his normal friendly greeting but was interrupted by the beginning of my act. "You send a group of officers to trash my place behind my back!" The Brit was surprised by the tone I initiated. "You had more on me than some bullshit assault charge, it doesn't take a fucking detective to see that!"

Ian was conflicted. I needed him to spill the Intel then somehow get him to back off.

"What are you hiding from me Ian! If you went through my place without a warrant you can tell me. I just want to hear the truth, none of this secrecy crap."

He finally looked at me. "Garrus and I were working on a case when Pallin walked up to me with a warrant for your address. He said we had to go over there arrest and interrogate you or else he would have us both fired."

"Why the hell would he do that? He didn't seem that angry when I left all those months ago."

"I know it's because he...he thinks you're Alcatraz."

It was times like these I wish I'd taken acting class. All I could do was fake my reactions and hope for the best. "What," I laughed. "You mean like the guy with the suit and group and...you're being total serious." I said, looking at his blank face. "Ian this is crazy; you realize this is crazy right? What evidence does he have to accuse me of going out and being a vigilante crime fighter?"

He sighed and leaned on the rooftop's railing. "So far all he's got is hunches. I think it's mainly because Alcatraz and his team showed up not too long after you and your friends left."

"Do you know how much shit he would have put me through if I went on nothing more than a coincidence?"

"That's what I was thinking too," he said slowly.

"Fucking hypocrite. So that's all he's got on me?"

"Pretty much. He said that the beating you made on the Krogan was connected to the beating on some Drag Brother's douche named Micky. I don't know the full details of that."

"But there's multiple beatings on the station everyday." I ran a hand over my face. "I left C-Sec to get away from all this crap, now Pallin seems hellbent on dragging me back in because of some bullshit hunch. How many times has he turned down our hunches? I remember you telling me about how long he couldn't grasp the idea of one of your perps being an Elcor."

"I know, I'm not exactly happy about this either. Hell, the only reason he even brought me and Garrus on in the first place was because he thought it'd be easier to get something out of you. We weren't ever on the case about The Wild Bunch before."

I decided to end the conversation. Ian didn't want to stay on the case finding Alcatraz, especially since Pallin used him like that. But I still needed to leave him feeling regretful to make sure he wouldn't dig deeper.

"Look, just let me know if something like this is headed my way again. A real friend doesn't just shut up and arrest someone he knows like that." I walked away from the railing.

"Lucas..." He stopped since I continued walking.

I couldn't blame Ian. He was just doing his job. I couldn't blame Pallin for having his hunches either. He was a veteran cop. However, I could blame him for wanting to throw me behind bars. He still saw me as a want-to-be hero, begging for attention and wreaking havoc to do so. I wasn't planning to have some people paint me as that. I was no hero or villain. I was just an eighteen-year old white kid in way over his head. With no chance of turning back in sight.

I didn't take my grief and turn it into mayhem. I took my grief and turned it into strength. If Pallin wanted to stop me because of that. Fine.

Let him try.

**Now Playing : nervous_testpilot (Frozen Synapse OST) - Deeper**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : I would have posted this earlier but I ended up getting a Zero Access Trojan on my computer, forcing me to reinstall windows. But I don't feel like ranting about that so I'll just say I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, PEACE.<strong>


	20. Chapter 20 : Dead

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 20 : Dead**

**March 16th, 2183**

**1:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6**

**(Lucas)**

"So let me recap," said Anderson. "In one month you kidnapped a merc group, joined up with them, took down a weapon smuggler, recruited the C-Sec Executor's daughter, took out the group she worked for, killed their leader, interrogated a grunt, got tied up by a serial killer and arrested by Citadel Security?"

I nodded.

"You do know that if it weren't for the agreement, you'd be locked up for life?"

"Why do you think I signed it so quickly?"

Anderson sighed. "So, Ian and Garrus didn't pursue you any further?"

I shook my head. "No, they weren't too happy about the Executor using them, especially since it didn't help the case. Due to lack of evidence they couldn't go after me or anybody else in the group. Though that didn't stop someone else from having a go."

* * *

><p><strong>October 12th, 2182<strong>

**1:10 AM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Phil)**

"Okay, just wrap the bag around it and hold it in place," Paul said, taking the garbage away from the corner.

"Yes I know, Paul," Shakiel said, annoyed. "I'm old enough to know how to hold a..."

The sound of clunks and clangs from the garbage hitting the floor interrupted him.

_3...2...1!_

"You were saying?"

"Don't give me that shit, that was your fault."

"How was that my fault! You were holding the fucking thing!"

My eyes drifted away from Jack and Jill when I noticed a familiar Turian figure grabbing her sixth energy bar from the cupboard.

"You know that if you keep that up you're going to beat Lucas in the race for diabetes right?" I didn't know if there was a Turian equivalent of diabetes but that was besides the point.

"Excuse me?" asked Kat.

I rolled my eyes. "Is there a reason you don't eat like a normal person? You know, breakfast, lunch, dinner?"

"The outskirts of enemy bases don't provide much opportunity for feasting." She retorted, turning her back to me.

"You know that someday you're going to have to put this military stuff behind you right?" I sighed, realizing I was probably going to regret what I said.

"Why should I?" She trained her cold eyes on me.

_Crap. _"Uh, because you'd have a lot more fun if you did."

She was getting more irritated by the second. "I wanted to join your group so I could actually help people. There's no such thing as fun in this line of work."

"So I'm guessing you disagree with our antics?"

"When you go out there, you and everyone else are putting their lives on the line. Their focus should be coming out on the other side with all of your organs intact. Not annoying your comrades."

"You mean to tell me that you never got into any trouble back then?"

"I didn't say that."

"Seriously, you and your team must have caused some shenanigans back in the day. Or at least I would have if I was constantly surrounded by people with sticks-up-their-asses all day."

Kat looked away in the distance before reluctantly nodding. "Yeah, I guess so." She leaned away from the cupboard and made her way to the door even though she was staying at the base. I had hit a nerve. "Wait, Kat..." She was already out the door. I shook my head decided to try to ignore what happened.

"Hey Phil!" Shakiel called out. "Want to play some Reckoning of Elysium?"

"No, that game's only fun with four people and everyone is sleeping right now!"

"Where the hell is Josh? Wasn't he here not too long ago?"

"I think he mentioned something about 'Comforting'."

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

Whoever came up with soundproof apartments deserved a fucking medal in my book. Channeling out the rest of the world was a beautiful concept. Especially when it was just Kasumi and I with nothing between us on a late night in the bedroom. My gasps of air finally started to calm down, difficult as my thieving girlfriend collapsed on top of me with my arms wrapped around her.

"That was..." She exhaled.

"Comforting?"

The laugh I loved so much spilled from her lips until they met mine again.

"Very."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I've stated before that I hate mornings. That dread would never cease but it did get pushed aside by another burning hatred. News channel debates. So you can imagine my state of mind when I woke up to find Terran blasting me a news debate between Ambassador Udina and a congressman.

"_I believe," _said the congressman._ "That all The Wild Bunch has done, besides take care of people Citadel Security can't touch, is give the station a sense of hope that has only..."_

"_That has only warped the cost of property damage on the entire station!" _exclaimed dickhead Udina._ "As well as having known ties to Zion and brutal interrogation, this group of misfits deserve to rot in a cell!" _

"What a fucking douche."

"I know right?" said Terran. "He's been at this for the past week."

"Anything more than just spewing bullshit on the news?"

"He's going to a hearing in Tayseri Ward. I'm guessing you've already got an idea as for what to do next?"

"Maybe."

My thoughts of devilry were short lived by Josh's entrance into the base.

"Gooood morning team."

I didn't resist, the laugh busted out of me before I knew it. At the same time it was echoed by Terran and everyone else in the base. Josh looked perplexed.

"What?" He asked.

"You walk in here with that voice?" I laughed.

"What voice?"

"The 'I-just-got-laid-voice'," Terran quipped. "At least I tried to employ some subtlety."

"Shut up!" Josh spat, causing Terran and I to laugh harder.

Then Kasumi walked in. "Morning boys," she said, cheerful as always.

"What?" said Josh. "She get's to use the 'I-just-got-laid' voice with no mocking from you two?"

"That's because Kasumi always acts like she just got laid." I pointed out.

"It's true, I can't help it," She added, earning a snort from everyone except Josh. With notice, Kasumi came behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Especially when I had the real deal."

Josh turned around and put his arms around her. "Well I'm happy to oblige a real deal." He said.

She leaned in for a kiss.

Before anyone could say "Get a room", Kasumi reached into one of Josh's pockets and pulled out his wallet, holding it up in the air for everyone to see, causing said everyone to snicker. She put the wallet in her pocket as she pulled away from Josh and made her way out of the base. Josh turned around to see everybody with knowing smiles.

"Yeah, yeah, we're nauseating. Just tell me whether or not we've got something to do today."

I pointed at Udina on the screen. "We've got to deal with this guy."

Josh leaned in and lowered his voice. "The asshole Ambassador from the...you know."

I nodded. "According to Terran, the guy has a hearing to go to."

"And I'm guessing you've got a plan?"

"I may have something in mind. Though I need you to pick up a few things."

"Why me?"

"I figured that because you're so relaxed, a short walk to the store wouldn't kill you." I smirked.

Josh only sighed in return. "Fine."

He made his way to the door, reaching for his wallet.

"Kasumi!"

* * *

><p><strong>(Udina)<strong>

Another hearing, another group of jackasses and another victory under my belt. It was interesting how vocal I could make haters of The Wild Bunch. I wish I could see the look on my advisor's face, who told me I should support the misfits. But the time for reveling would have to wait as the hearing had extracted all of my energy. I rolled up under the blankets and laid my head down. As soon as I closed my eyes however, I felt something. I couldn't describe it but it was like something moved, even though I was the only one in my house. I closed my eyes again, expecting sleep to take me over. That's when I felt something covering my mouth and nose. I tried to scream but I couldn't breath or fight the force against me. It was getting harder to keep my eyes open to the point of unconsciousness.

After a period of time, I could feel my senses coming back. From the smells I knew I was still in my house, except I was in the living room. Confusion quickly turned to fear when I saw my hands, feet and neck tied up. The only illumination was a red dot on the screen in front of me. I tried to scream for help but something was covering my mouth. It felt like it was old fashioned tape. I stiffened at the sound of footsteps.

"Shh, it's okay," the male voice said in gentle but still freaky manner. "You're not here, you're still asleep in bed. Just stay calm, watch the red dot." I could sense his being right behind me, yet I couldn't take my eyes off the red dot. "These are your friends. The Wild Bunch are your friends."

I was about to protest when another being made his presence behind me. "The Wild Bunch are your friends."

And another, this time a female voice. "The Wild Bunch are your friends."

And another. "The Wild Bunch are your friends."

"The Wild Bunch are your friends."

"The Wild Bunch are your friends."

"You're happy that The Wild Bunch are your friends."

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

I nearly tore off the wires restricting my movements, I wanted to jump out of my chair as my heart rate jacked. I was then blinded by the lights switching on. Just as my sight adjusted my seat suddenly flipped backwards. I was upside down, looking at a group of ten people. The Wild Bunch.

"Hi." The man in the red and white armor aka Alcatraz said. He knelt next to me. "Now listen. Tomorrow morning you are going to call off your rigorous investigation and state to the public that we are not a threat. Otherwise these two," he gestured to two men, one with red goggles and the other with green, "are going to find you, and they're going to take your balls," he said nonchalantly as the two pulled out combat blades.

I tried yelling again against the tape covering my mouth.

"They're going to send one to CNN, one to GBC press release style." I didn't know what press release style meant and I didn't really want to know what he meant by it.

"We've done more for this station then you ever will. We've brought down killers, rapists, psychos, sadists, gangs, mad scientists and zombies. In short. Do not fuck with us. Understand?"

With the entire team looking at me I nodded, hoping this nightmare would end. I felt my chair get thrown back into the position it had before, giving me a view of the now blank screen, as well as the Bunch making their way to the door. A hooded female figure stood over me with a blank mask covering her face.

"Have a goodnight, Ambassador." She said with a Japanese accent before making my world go black.

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

The shuttle ride on the way back was a complete laugh. With the thrusters being disabled, Kasumi opened the door and we all stepped out, detaching our armor sets and putting away weapons.

"You're too good at screaming, Phil." Lucas chuckled.

"I don't know you're talking about!" Phil echoed back.

"My point exactly."

"Ahhhhhh!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the guy's antics. However, my laughter stopped when I saw Kasumi standing near the door, looking at me while motioning her finger in a way that said, "Come here".

I raised my eye brows, asking "Already?".

To that she smiled and walked away with a sway in her hips. Well it's not like I was going to say "No". I stashed away the last bits of my armor and discarded my weapons, making my way to the door.

"I'm surprised, Josh." Lucas called out, making me stop.

"Surprised?"

"You're now together with Kasumi, who has her...obvious assets. It just surprises me that you're not rubbing it in our faces."

"Would you prefer it if I did?"

"I wouldn't object."

Knowing Lucas, there was going to be something to do this. Yet I decided to give in. "Fine. I'm going to go to my bunk where me and my sexy girlfriend are going to fuck each other silly while you all participate in a circle jerk. Have fun, douchebags." I could hear a confident laugh from Lucas before the door shut. _I'm probably going to regret that._ Without a care in the world, I made my way back to the door of my apartment. Stepping inside, I was greeted with an empty space and dead silence. As typical with Kasumi. I didn't bother calling out her name and decided to check the bedroom, revealing the master thief sitting on my bed, wearing only an oversized shirt of mine with her usual hood lying on the floor. Not that I objected, she looked even more sexy with her hair down. I noticed she was holding something too. My wallet.

"I figured you'd want this back."

My hands started to dig my pockets even though I knew what happened. "How do you..."

"You still need to work on your skills, Kestrel." She knew it aggravated me when she used my alias. I quickly realized the real reason for this. I of course took the precautions before we...you know, and I kept the protection in my wallet. _You little..._

I walked closer and reached for the wallet. She flicked her hand away with a wicked smirk.

"Come on Kestrel, can't you do better than that?"

_Yes. _I leaped forward and heard a playful yelp before she landed on the bed. I trapped her arms as she then leaned up for a kiss. I closed my eyes, returned it, proving the perfect opportunity to turn tables and placed my back on the bed. Kasumi trapped my arms, I managed to free one of them and grab hers which held my wallet. Suddenly my left arm started to beep. We both ignored it at first but beeping went on, and on, and on.

Finally I gave up and brought my Omni-tool to view, putting the wrestling match on hold. "God damn it. This better be a fucking emergency or I'm going to kill someone."

Expecting the inevitable message from Lucas but found my Inbox full of messages.

_To : Omega (Josh A.)_

_From : CuHnadian (Lucas R.)_

_PREPARE FOR RAMMING SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!_

_To : Omega (Josh A.)_

_From : BalimBanana (Bjorn V.)_

_888 _888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888 __888_!_

_To : Omega (Josh A.)_

_From : Pip Boy (Phil S.)_

_MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN! MEATSPIN!_

_To : Omega (Josh A.)_

_From : xPEPPx (Paul E.)_

_YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND BABY RIGHT ROUND LIKE A RECORD BABY ROUND ROUND ROUND ROUND!_

I slowly got up from the bed.

"Is everything alright?" Kasumi asked with a smile.

"Yeah, fine. I just need to go shoot some people." I made my way out of the apartment and back to base. I opened the door to see the entire group with their Omni-tool's out. "Okay! What the fuck guys!"

They broke out in gut busting laughter, some of them with their heads on the table as if they were ashamed. _Motherfuckers. _

"It was his idea." Bjorn laughed while pointing at Lucas.

"You...I...just...can't...Ah! I'm not even going to say anything!" _I don't want to give him the satisfaction. _My reaction only made them laugh more.

"God," Bjorn chuckled. "There's killing the mood and then there's..."

An explosion suddenly erupted from the hallway, forcing me on my back as I covered myself out of instinct. My ears rang until the pain started to fade as I got back to my feet. I could hear the sound of shuffling feet behind me as I knew the group was just as shocked. My mind was in a sea of questions when it suddenly went blank. My eyes settled on the origin of the explosion. My apartment.

"That."

**Now Playing : HEALTH (Max Payne 3 OST) : Dead**


	21. Chapter 21 : Got Nuffin

**Authors Note : Over 50 reviews? JEEEEEEEEEEEEEZUS! But really, in all seriousness, thank you so much! Anyway, back on with the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 21 : Got Nuffin**

**October 13th, 2182**

**9:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**Josh's Apartment, Zakera Ward**

**(Josh)**

"Kasumi!"

"Josh wait!"

I pushed my way through the shelf blocking my path to the front door, a misjudgment that made me fall flat on my chest onto the burning panel. _Ow! Ow! Fuck! _I scrambled back to my feet, feeling a non being behind me. I turned around to see another shelf fall and spit flames in my direction. I backed up and blocked my face. The entrance was blocked too and the sound of stomping feet came to a halt.

"Josh! You okay in there?" Lucas yelled from the other side.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I made my way through the apartment that was beyond fucked. Feeling heat everywhere, from the bottom of my shoes to the top of my head. "Kasumi!" I yelled, looking for any sign of her.

I decided to check the last place I saw her. Stepping into the bedroom only revealed walls burning in tandem with flaming sheets. I made my way back to the lounge searching. That was when I noticed the main anomaly by the window; blood. In a panic, I tried to erase the worst case scenario from my head, I got as close to the edge as possible and looked down the humungous drop. I saw no squashed body on the ground, though I did notice the brunette climbing up a wire with one hand on the side of the building.

"Kasumi!"

She stopped to look up. "Josh!"

I didn't let relief wash over me just yet; she was hanging on literally by the edge of her fingers. "Just hold on!" The wire stretched down and up the entire building. Ignoring the drop below me, I reached out and started to pull it up. She stopped climbing and held on as I drew the wire into loops in my arms until she was within reach. I stretched out my other arm and pulled her up to the burning apartment. Then relief overtook me. shown as I wrapped my arms around Kasumi, needing to feel her presence, to know she was alright after the thoughts of losing her had raced around my head less than a minute ago. I could feel her comforting my back with her hands.

"It's okay, I'm fine."

It was a bit ridiculous that she was the one having to comfort me. I pulled away from her, taking in her appearance. She was still wearing my oversized shirt, except that it was covered in black stains and had ripped on her shoulder, showing a small wound. "You're bleeding." I let out, panicked again, toticing a bunch of other small cuts all over her.

She put on a small smile. "It's fine, I've had worse." I kept her close and we made our way to the entrance.

"Come on, we need to get you bandaged up."

We stopped when we got to the door, just as I remember the blocked entrance. I heard the voices on the other side speak up again.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"3, 2, 1!"

Shea, Bjorn and myself put all our weight against the shelf, shoving it over to reveal Josh with Kasumi wearing almost nothing. I guess Josh could never again brag about being the only person to see the master thief without her hood. Too bad it had to be under these circumstances.

"You two okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine." Kasumi said.

"She needs to get to the med bay," Interrupted Josh.

"Phil, get your med gear ready." I said.

Kasumi sighed but went with Josh to the base. I took one more glance at the destroyed apartment, knowing that we weren't going to find anything. Most of us followed Josh as he held Kasumi close. At the med bay Phil went to work, supplying her some painkillers and a bandage to wrap around her cut that he covered with medi-gel. He said it had to have come from the glass since he found traces of some still in the wound. I told Josh to get her some clothes as she still only had his shirt on her, and because I knew he wouldn't like the territory I was venturing into.

"You must have noticed something if you got out of there before the it blew up. What happened?"

"I went to get something from the fridge when I noticed this strange smell fill up the room. I think it was gas."

_Gas? Wait. _"Don't apartments use different methods for things like that?"

"Some do, some don't. Cheaper costs. I couldn't tell you why I ran, I just did. Instinct."

I turned around when the door opened to reveal Josh coming back with pants, shirt and a hoody, all of which were far too big for her. She took notice of the hoody though, earning another smile and a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek.

"I'll be right back." She went to the shuttle for her change of clothing.

"Still jealous of Ian having Rebecca?" I quipped.

"Not even slightly." Josh smiled.

I chuckled but was soon interrupted by the sound of sirens in the distance. "Oh shit." _How was I stupid enough to forget about the fire department! _

"What?" Phil asked.

"They don't know Kasumi lives here, or Kat. As soon as C-Sec get's wind of it..."

"The Executor will be all over us again," finished Josh, making his way to the shuttle. "Kasumi!"

"Yeah, I heard." She came out of the vehicle in her new wardrobe and joined with the rest of us.

"My dad thinks I live in my old place," Kat said.

"Do you still have it?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You and Kasumi can take the shuttle back there and lay low until this goes away. You can fly a shuttle right?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question?"

"Touche."

"I'm going too," Josh added.

"Josh, Kasumi will be fine with Kat. You don't have to follow her everywhere."

"Don't you think there going to question what the hell I was doing when the explosion went off? At least if I'm somewhere else I can say I was gone when it happened."

As much as I wanted to argue, he did make a good point. Generally when someone's place blows up their first reaction is to call 9-1-1. "Fine, go."

They made their way to the shuttle and booted it outside while everyone else gathered in the hallway of the floor. Both firemen and security were going to be up here soon and we couldn't afford anyone finding our base.

"Terran, Lia. Make sure no one gets through the door."

"You got it."

* * *

><p>The next several hours were spent sitting around as the firemen doused the towering inferno, as well as taking statements from everyone. Turned out the building used gas instead of the alien methods of heating stuff up. They seemed to think that it must have leaked over a period of time due to Josh being gone, or how they thought he was gone. He was on his way back to give the firemen a bullshit statement while Kasumi laid low with Kat at the ex-scout's apartment.<p>

Then I saw a face I really didn't want to see walk toward me as he glanced at Josh's flaming apartment.

"Executor Pallin?"

"Lucas Raycevich, it's been while," he said, holding out his hand.

We shook hands. "Well, face to face at least." _I guess behind two way looking glass doesn't count. _

"I'm sorry for what happened here." He glanced back at the apartment.

"Yeah, so far the firemen are ruling it out as a gas explosion, due to cheap parts and a spark from the bottom of the fridge. Fuckers."

"It's hard to believe."

"Tell me about it."

"No, I mean it's hard to believe that Josh didn't notice."

My eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. "Why?"

"Because in the past eight months he hasn't stayed away from his apartment for more than twenty four hours."

I felt my veins clench. Realing the father of one of my friends was still investigating us. He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. Allowing me to have some free reign.

"You know your sudden interest in me and my friends could be seen as harassment right?"

"Then report me," he dared.

Reporting him would just be a waste of time. He was the Executor and could easily surf over any number of complaints. "It's a good thing you're not my boss anymore Pallin."

"Why?"

"Because I can say many things I wouldn't have said before."

"Like what?"

I turned, narrowed my eyes and walked up to him. "Back the fuck off."

He seemed to take this into consideration, for about a second. "I guess I'll just have to wait for the fire department's report."

"Who say it was an accident."

* * *

><p><strong>5 Days Later<strong>

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

"It wasn't an accident."

"Well no fucking shit," Phil responded to Kasumi.

After nearly a week every single little extra camera and security man had finally high-tailed it, leaving us alone to find the mofo who did this. Kasumi had returned and found a brand new suit she bought stole. Not that it was any different.

"Whoever did this was a definitely a professional," I said. "And quick, since the explosion and fire would erase any prints he left behind."

"And he didn't get caught on any of the security cameras in the building's lobby," Terran added.

"That's fine, I don't care about the person who did it," Kasumi said.

Everyone did a double take. "You don't care about the person that tried to kill you?" I said.

"I'm more interested in the person who hired him, and I know who it is." It was clear that we were her audience now. "I did some digging through my old contacts, people that have hired my expertise in the past. It didn't take long for one name to show its ugly face." She hit the hologram screen, depicting another familiar face I really didn't want to see.

"Donovan Hock," I muttered aloud.

"You know him?" Kasumi asked.

_Oh shit! Think! Uh... _"Yeah, I've heard of his legacy. Real Grade A son of a bitch, has a party every year where he invites the biggest corporate psychos in the galaxy."

Kasumi nodded.

"So why did he hire someone to kill you?" Josh asked.

"Remember when I said my employer would be upset back when you stole the painting?" Everyone nodded to which Kasumi gestured to the picture of Hock.

"No way." I said.

"Let's just say that he's following through on my prediction," Kasumi replied.

"But why would he attack now?" Josh asked. "It's been months since that job."

"Well I'm not exactly the easiest person to find. I didn't think he ever would but that's obviously out of the window."

"And now it's time to get payback."

"Not in the way you're thinking."

I had to give Kasumi credit. She knew how to control an audience. Ironic really. "You don't want to kill the person that hired someone to kill you either?" I asked again.

"I was thinking to myself, what's the best way to get back at someone? It's not death. All you get then is your arch demon laying on the ground with blood on floor."

_Why am I suddenly thinking about Dragon Age? _

"You know what's better? Humiliation." She smirked.

"That's harsh Kasumi...I want in." I smiled.

She asked everyone else who then agreed to which her eyes fell on Josh.

"Do you really need to ask?" He said.

"It's only polite." She shrugged.

He sighed but with a smile. "Yes, I'm in."

"Good. Now, Hock has mansions and/or top dollar tower blocks in all of his regular locales. This includes the Citadel, due to him having to constantly do business here and on Bekenstein. He also collects more than just art. Sitting inside of his tower block on Zakera Ward is this." She hit a screen icon which switched to an outside picture of Hock's art piece. Causing my eyes to light up like Bobby Kotick looking at sales figures. A 2011 Lamborghini Aventador.

"I'm thinking if we have Paul get his hands on a shuttle with a shipping container, we can hijack his prized possession outside of the tower block."

"Wait," I said. "Knowing him, he's going to have heavy security inside that tower block and if we plan on stealing that thing, we're going to have to raise the alarms, unless we plan to sit there all night."

"And if we do raise the alarms he'll probably have guards come over and turn us to red paste or burn us to a crisp, or both." Paul added.

"How would crispy paste work?" Bjorn asked aloud.

"So what do you propose?" Kasumi looked at me.

"One of us will drive the thing out of there."

"Elaborate".

"We'll take some fuel with us, not much but enough to keep the thing moving for a short period. Then we drive it away from them and take it to a much safer place to put it in the container."

"His tower is at the presidium though. If you want to get to the shipping dock you're going to have to take the elevators."

"Well, Terran has hacked through high security before. Couldn't he override the elevators?

"You're putting a lot on me buddy," said Terran. "I'm going to have to hack the security in the tower block itself to which you then want me to hack some of the galactic station's elevators?"

"Can you do it?"

He sighed. "If I don't have anything fight me back then yeah, I can."

"So there we go. We sneak our way in, drive out, raise the alarms and Paul will wait at the shipping area."

"Okay, someone will have to drive the vehicle then..."

"I'll do it!" I couldn't help myself. The others had a small laugh at my eagerness.

"Are you sur..."

"Yes!"

"You're going to keep interrupting until I agree won't you..."

"Yes!"

"Alright, you're driving."

"Yes!"

"And if you do scratch it up, it's not the end of universe. Getting the vehicle is just the first phase."

"What's the second phase?" Josh asked.

**Now Playing : Spoon - Got Nuffin**


	22. Chapter 22 : Backdraft

**I'd suggest putting on Ready, Steady, Go! By Paul Oakenfold just before the driving starts, see you at the end!**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 22 : Backdraft**

**October 19th, 2182**

**8:20 PM, Citadel Time**

**Hock's Tower Block #27, The Presidium**

**(Lucas)**

I knew the Presidium was made for the rich and powerful who probably spent most of their time traveling across the Milky Way, but would it kill them to refrain from making the daylight cycle permanent? It was confusing as all hell, like watching 2001 A Space Odyssey at five. It was surreal; bright day on the Presidium while it was dark and murky on the rest of the Citadel, not that being on the Citadel wasn't already surreal.

"Alcatraz, are you and the rest of the team there?" Terran asked over the comms.

I looked toward the group which included Kasumi, Josh, Bjorn and myself. "Yep, we're here. Just outside the bastard's block."

"Alright," said Lia, also on the comm. "There's four security rooms on different floors that you need to shutdown at the same time. Each of them will also have at least one guard. As soon as you shut down the security measures Trojan can keep them offline with a virus. From there it's a matter of getting control of the station's elevators."

"Great, let's get this started then." We started making our way to the block. "Trojan, what floors are the security points on?"

"First, third, fifth and top floor," Said Terran.

"Okay, I'll take the first since it's closest to the car."

"I've got the top." Kasumi shrugged.

"I've got the third," Said Josh.

"Fifth," Bjorn said, quiet as usual.

We were in sight of the building with the glass doors on the first floor almost sparkling with their shiny-ness. We were at the back due to the front of the block facing a street that was busy even at this hour. Kasumi, who was on point took to not bothering to sneak her way inside. Instead opting for running up the side panel of the wall, grabbing one of the small ledges and climbing up the building. I was relieved that I called the first floor. The three of us decided to stick with taking the door, not that Josh made it easy as he was too busy staring at Kasumi's ass.

"Fucking perv." I smirked as Bjorn and I moved past while he was dead still.

"It's not perverted if I've already seen her naked," He muttered as we took cover next to the door. Bjorn called Terran to open it.

"And I've seen her with only a shirt on, does that make it okay for me to ogle at her?"

"Shirts are clothing so no, it doesn't."

"You're such a dog."

"I know, right?"

The back door opened, ending the conversation as we got a move on. I spotted stairs and pointed to them. Without a word the other two headed over, leaving me three idiot guards to deal with. Spotting a piece of cover I crept my way over while their backs were turned. Now since the floor I was on had tons of laser based security and two guards standing out in the open forever, I'll just save time by skipping to the part where they had finally moved and I made a little noise to draw their attention. There's something else I forgot to mention about these two guards, they never shut up...ever!

"Did you hear about that conversation Danny had with the boss?"

"Yeah, the boss seemed to be in a very good mood."

"Probably because he got rid of that bitch who fucked him a while back."

"Wait, they fucked?"

"No! I mean like she, fucked him a while back."

"So they did fuck?"

"No! I mean she..." They turned to find me lying it in wait with silenced dual wield pistols. "Oh crap."

I pulled both triggers, the shots causing my their victims to hiss untranslatable speech. These guards weren't doing anything wrong besides poisoning society with their presence. Therefore it was time for all of us to fall back on using stun rounds. After the initial shock - pun intended - I caught their bodies before they collapsed, gently laying them on the ground so the man behind the desk didn't notice. I detached his Omni-tool and placed it on my right arm, smirking as I finally obtained the IFF that allowed me to go through the laser grids.

I made my way to the desk boy and decided to save more time by just shooting him on the way, causing him to fall off his chair and providing me a place to sit. I scrolled through the database before coming upon the security measures.

"Hey guys, are you at the other security points yet?"

"Dude, we've been waiting for the past ten minutes," Josh said.

"Oh shut up. I got caught in traffic. Are you all ready?"

I heard a yawn on the comm. "Wait, what?" blurted Bjorn. "What's going on?"

"Were you seriously sleeping on a mission?"

"I couldn't help it!"

"Never mind, just disable the security on my mark. 3, 2, 1, mark!"

There was no whine of power shutting down or anything like in the movies. The screen just opened a window and said, "Security Disabled". _Makes sense I guess. _

"Okay, we're on our way down," Said Josh.

True to his word the three of them arrived on my floor. Terran had uploaded the virus as well. I got up and pulled out the small gas container I had on me. Not that it was cheap. Seriously, this little bit would've cost fifty thousand if Kasumi hadn't stolen it.

"So I drive this thing out of here, go with Paul and Phil and then meet up with you to start phase two."

"Yep. The three of us will get out while we can and catch up with you afterwards."

I finished pouring the fuel into my dream machine and Kasumi tossed me the key. I reached out for the door. _Never in my entire life did I think that I would..._

Opening the door set off the car's alarm, which in turn set off the building's alarms. _Are you fucking serious! _

"Wow!" Bjorn whined. "Good job!"

"Shut up!" I shoved up the scissor door and jumped inside. "Hock's men are going to arrive quickly, go!"

They had beat me to it, the three of them were out the door as I had shut mine. I spotted the slot for the ignition, heard the click and remembered its start up routine. Foot on the brake and flip the cap revealing the Start button. Pressing it, I could hear the engine whine like a jet until it was ready to go; Surprisingly quiet given how much of a monster the engine was. I pressed the accelerator, making the engine roar in neutral. I could feel goose bumps on my arms all over me, the good kind.

"You ready to give directions Trojan?"

"I'm all set. You just head straight until you're at the correct elevator."

The front of the building as I thought, contained many civilians crossing my path. I tried to control my excitement and focus on the task at hand. I revved the engine one more time before switching into gear. _Ready, steady, go! _I gave the car a boot full and slammed my hand on the horn. Grabbing peoples attention and moving away as I crashed through the glass and drove into the streets.

"Get the fuck out of the way!" The distance between me and the civilians was starting to get further as more and more people were grasping what was going on. I could see the Presidium River in the distance and thankfully the street was opening up. The lake was now to my left and I was growing more confident. Hitting the paddle shifter got me to third gear and I was now hitting nearly a hundred mph. That confidence was tested when the car suddenly went light but then slammed hard into the ground. I had driven over a small staircase that littered these parts of the presidium. Taking a deep breath I kept my eyes on the street.

"The elevator is on your next right," Terran announced over the comm.

I complied and slowed down another gear to make the sharp turn leading to an empty elevator. I hit the breaks when the g-force plunged me forward and I was completely stopped, about twenty feet short of the elevator. _Uh, yeah, right, I meant that. _I moved the car forward and the door closed behind me. The elevator ascended briefly before coming to a stop.

"Uh Trojan, why did the elevator stop?"

"We're going to have to get you to a different one to get to the shipping deck. The entrance from this elevator is too crowded to get anywhere."

_God damn it. _I looked behind me to see the doors open up again and reveal a new street that looked like a front for stores. Thankfully it wasn't as crowded as usual due to only tourists and drunks shopping at these hours. _Okay, speed up in reverse flick the wheel and then correct it back. It always did sound easy. _I slammed on the gas and exited the elevator, seeing that the civilians were not in my way I took the opportunity and flicked the wheel for a one eighty spin. I quickly corrected the direction of the wheel and saw the wall to my right in sight.

"Shit!"

I slammed on the brake and the car came to a stop without any noise of carbon fiber on metal, or whatever they used on the Citadel. _Well, that could have been worse. _I got out of the mess and trudged forward, quickly building up speed. I swear on my mother's tits I wasn't having fun...at that moment.

"You've got a wide right turn coming up, followed by a sharp turn on your first left," Terran said.

The pedestrians had already cleared it. _Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it! _I did it. I came into the corner more quickly than I should've and gave it a Scandinavian flick. The screeching tires echoed as they made their smoky show. I laughed hysterically slowed down for the sharp left bend I went through.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Terran said..

"I just power slid a Lamborghini on the galactic station! How could I not!"

Seeing the open street ahead made me want to go even more insane. Slamming the gas and changing gear got me up to hundred and twenty plus. The walls zoomed by as I tried not to be intimidated by how narrow the street felt. Thankfully the dopamine in my body was more than enough to make me ignore it.

"Slow down and make a right turn on my mark."

I slowed down slightly.

"Mark!"

I saw the turn and made a right, seeing the elevator behind a civilian in front of me. _Oh shit! _I twisted the wheel out of the way in tandem with the pedestrian leaping away. The back end started to skid as I fought for control, I was inside the elevator just as I heard the crashing metal sound I avoided earlier. The vehicle had spun around so that I was now facing the opposite direction and the civilian I nearly ran over. It was a Quarian in a normal suit with a purple helmet...

"No fucking way!"

"Uh, you might want to worry about the scratched paint later Alcatraz." Terran said.

_Did I say that out loud? _"Why?"

"Because Hock has just sent some pretty nasty units looking for you."

"What kind of units?"

"Gunships."

"Oh." My goosebumps switched to the bad kind.

"Pipboy, Wash, you still at the rendezvous?"

"Yeah," Phil said, "but we can move around the area and keep an eye open for any attackers."

"Well you might want to get to that because we just spotted a gunship heading to the elevator right where Al is."

"Alright, just give us a few minutes."

I was stuck in the slow box. With nothing to do besides imagine how my explosive death would look. My eyes scanned the car again and I spotted something else I remembered from videos back home. Three car settings. I hit the button for 'Corsa' mode and built up the revs.

"Trojan, is the area clear?"

"Excluding the occasional dock worker, yeah, it's clear."

I took a deep breath. The doors opened allowing me through with a roaring start out of the box. I felt the G-force slam my skull onto the headrest as Corsa mode was clearly meant for raw driving. I kept my foot welded to the floor as the gears and speed just kept climbing. _120 - 130 - 140 - 150! _I was clinging on for dear life; just when I spotted the gunship heading toward me.

"Uh guys!"

"We're almost there, just shut up hang on!" Phil said.

"You don't need to tell me to hang on when I'm going faster than God with a gunship chasing me!"

The said gunship lowered itself further, its cannon aiming at me. It fired the first few rounds as I moved left as quickly as possible while avoiding a spin-out. The ship fired another burst of rounds which missed me by a hair. _Not that I'm complaining but don't ships have lock on targeting? _Then I remembered. These things were only bought by millionaires back home so how do you think these things fared in price a hundred and seventy years later? The ship was trying to get me the fuck up, except the pilot didn't have to worry about weight balance or steering control while going a hundred and ninety miles an hour. If anyone was going to mess up first, it was going to be me.

"Guys I can't keep this up! Where the fuck are you!" I yelled, just as my speed ticked two hundred mph. I could swear my veins were going to explode.

"Huzza!" Paul shouted. The confusion lasted shortly as I watched a giant container vehicle slam into the gunship's side. The ship whooshed over me as I looked behind to see it crash into the dock's floor in a fiery roll. I let my foot off the pedal as I tried to calm my breathing. Paul was laughing from the event.

"Alright, we'll park ahead and let you on board from there." He chuckled.

His vehicle swooshed over mine and started to land a good distance in front. The transport's storage door opened up to give me a perfect ramp to drive onto. I slowed down to a crawl, trying and not to damage this thing more then I already had. I drove inside and finally let the thing rest, along with myself as I slumped against my seat when I shut the engine off. Which soon brought back my hysterical laughter from earlier, I opened the door to step out, removing my helmet to wipe off the sweat.

"Man that was fun!" I yelled.

A door opened to reveal Phil. "Funny. We save your ass from a gunship and you don't rant at us for one second."

"By that I'm guessing you mean Paul saved my ass."

"Hey I played a very key role in keeping his motivation up. I could have left him really depressed and leave you to eat a machine gun sandwich."

"I think the thought of plowing into a gunship with a flying tanker would be enough motivation for him."

"Yeah, that's probably true." He shrugged. "Still, it sounds like you enjoyed yourself."

"Well aside from the gunship and what happened at the second elevator, fuck yeah I enjoyed myself."

"What happened at the second elevator?"

"Uh. I might of almost ran over Tali."

"What? How do you know it was Tali?"

"Well, I saw a young woman with 'Dem hips' in a skin tight purple suit so either that was Tali or I drove past a photo shoot, or comic con."

"Alcatraz, you there?" Kasumi asked on the comm.

"Yeah, I just got on the ship with the others. I'm guessing you, Archer and Kestrel made it out."

"You bet. We're on our way to meet up and get ready for phase two."

"Do we really have to use the Lambo for phase two?" I whined.

"Yes."

"Can we keep it! Please!"

"No, end of story."

"Goddamn it."

* * *

><p><strong>(Hock)<strong>

She was supposed to be dead, her troubles were supposed to end. I didn't care if The Wild Bunch highjacked the car, I knew she was behind this somehow. And I wasn't going to leave my mansion until she was gone for good. Suddenly the door opened.

"Sir," the grunt said. "You're going to want to see this."

"What is it?"

"She's here, outside in the stolen car."

The grunt was nerved out by my silence.

"Should we take her out?"

"No." I got up and moved past him. "Get ten guards and have them meet me at the front. Keep the rest inside unless I say otherwise."

"Yes sir," The grunt nodded and rushed ahead of me.

I knew she wasn't going to lay in wait to shoot me from a distance. I knew how she worked. She liked to do everything up close and personal. That was why I hired her in the first place. I came to the front door to meet the guards, armed to the teeth in assault rifles and gear.

"We're ready, Sir Hock."

"Move out and take point. Keep your eyes open for anything funny."

"Sir!"

They descended down the steps of my palace while I walked down, flanked on all sides. As the ground leveled I could see, standing in the front of the vehicle, the woman herself.

"We finally meet Kasumi Goto."

"That we do Donovan Hock."

"You realize I could have my men shoot you here and now right?"

"Oh come on Hock, that's not your style," she said playfully.

"I have to admit when I hired a master thief you're not what I expected."

She shrugged. "That's not the first time I've heard that, but people get used to it."

"People?"

"Yes. Despite what you may think I have friends."

"Imaginary friends?"

"Well some of them are just as weird."

A chuckle erupted from one of the guards, who meeting my gaze, instantly went silent. "How long are we going to keep this up Kasumi?"

"I've got time."

"Well I don't and frankly you'd be much better off dead to me." My men raised their weapons.

Kasumi continued to stand there, unfazed. "Oh well, I guess we'll have to call it early."

_What... _

*BOOM*

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

Hock and his goons flew off their feet in the explosion, landing hard on the ground. I brought up my battle rifle in tandem with Shakiel, Shea, Paul and Phil.

"Let 'em rip!"

We showered the goons with stun rounds, amused as we watched them shake like they were having a seizure. Hock lifted his head up when we let off, looking at what was left of the Lambo.

"No!" he shouted.

_My feelings exactly._

"Alcatraz," Josh said on the other line.

"Yeah?"

"His terminal was a gold mine. There's more than enough for C-Sec to charge him for good."

"Perfect, meet us near Hock."

"See ya."

We made our way past the front gate of the Hock's mansion, calmly walking through the over elaborate front yard until reaching the still burning shell of the Lambo. _Well I guess driving it once was good enough early birthday present. _Hock was back on his feet. Seeing the five us seemed to make him unhappy.

"You!" He pointed his finger.

We remained silent as the front door opened. Revealing Bjorn, Josh, Kat and Kasumi. Kasumi slid down the stair's railing like nothing had happened.

"I hope the guards weren't too much trouble." I said.

"Nah it was easy," Josh shrugged. "It's too bad there were so many of them though. Would have been awesome to blow up the front of this ugly house."

Hock seemed befuddled. "How did you..."

"STG Decoy," Kasumi answered. "You'd be amazed with how life-like they look." She turned to Kat. "By the way, thanks for that."

"No problem."

I looked at Kat, surprised she hadn't responded something along the line of 'Boogieman C2 to Oscar mike bravo 6 blurg'. Phil noticed too.

"What?" asked Kat.

"Nothing," said Phil.

I looked at Donovan. "As I'm sure you've guessed by now, you're under arrest." I walked toward him, cuffs ready.

"You don't have the authority to arrest me." Donovan took a swing, his fist hitting my head. He clenched his hand, yelling in pain. _You'd think a rich bastard like Donovan Hock would know that a bare fist wouldn't do much to a helmet. _I punched him in the head, he staggered to the ground and I started to attach the cuffs.

"No I don't, but generally when the police get information linking someone to smuggling, stealing and murder, they don't look at that person with admiration."

"Why do you get to punch him but I don't?" Josh whined.

"Self defense. He threw the first punch." I smirked.

"Oh that's bullshit."

"I'll fucking kill you!" Hock yelled, lying on the ground.

"Yeah well you tried to kill one of us before, didn't turn out so well," replied Phil.

"She, she's in your fucking group!"

"Yeah, I think it's good to look into who someone is friends with before issuing an order to kill them. You know, just a thought."

"Let's go," I said. "C-Sec will be here soon. I've had enough of dealing with this shithead."

We left Hock as he slowly got to his feet. I could hear footsteps heading in the opposite direction of us however. I turned around to see Josh returning to Hock.

"What the hell do you..."

Josh punched Hock as hard as he could. His victim's face slammed into the floor, leaving him unconscious. Josh walked back to us with a slightly more relaxed step. "What? Didn't want him to run." Josh shrugged.

* * *

><p><strong>(Kat)<strong>

The trip back had gone as it should. Josh seemed a bit unsatisfied but sitting next to Kasumi made him forget about that. At least Kasumi seemed happy about the results but, then again she always seemed happy. I didn't know how she did it but she managed. Her thanking me about the decoy did bring back memories of sneaking around on a Salarian planet. Good times.

"Well, I think I'm going to call it a night," Said Phil, dumping the last of his equipment off at the armory.

"Okay,"

Phil shook his head. "Goodnight to you to, _Tex_."

"When are you going to tell me what that means?"

"Preferably never." The door shut behind him.

_Fucking human. Oh great, now I sound like my dad again. _Suddenly my Omni-tool rang. I looked at it to find the call came from an anonymous being. My mandibles clicked as I slowly hit the answer symbol. "Hello?"

"Hello Scout Sergeant Pallin. It's been a while."

**Now Playing : Thrice - Backdraft**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : It was very weird writing that chase because it was the very first idea I had that spawned Mass Affect. It's strange finally writing it after thinking it up almost a year ago now. Still, I hope you enjoyed it. As for the next chapter, it's all about Kat and after I'm done with that, I'll be starting the final plot. Can't wait! PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. For those that don't know I finally started work on So You're In A Self Insert 3? and it can be found on my profile. Check it out!**


	23. Chapter 23 : The Summit

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 23 : The Summit**

**October 22nd, 2182**

**3:20 PM, Citadel Time**

**600 Blocks, Zakera Ward**

**(Kat)**

I may have been spending my time around humans but that hadn't changed my instincts. I wasn't about to make the same mistake as my father. It was my problem, therefore, I'd confront it. Entering the alleyway between two vacant motels, I spied a silhouette in the distance.

"I can see the past year has been kind to you, Kat," the voice said, sounding like he ate a tub of gravel for breakfast.

My mind was washed up with nostalgia. "And it hasn't been too kind to you, Kellar." I smirked.

He chuckled at the quip. At least his self-awareness hadn't been lost. "But you're still the same underneath that provocative body of yours."

"I already told you back at base, you don't have a chance."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

That earned a chuckle from me making him smile, a smile which we both awkwardly kept as the seconds ticked by. "Alright Kellar. The last time we talked face to face was after it happened, and this isn't a reunion since we're standing between two motels that wouldn't even work as fuck pads. So whatever you've got to say, I'd get to it if I were you."

He sighed but with a knowing look. "Okay then. It has to do with what happened."

"Kellar..."

"He's here."

"What?"

"He's here. On the Citadel."

**Four Hours Later**

**Deviant Arena, Zakera War**

* * *

><p><strong>(Phil)<strong>

"Pip you've got one coming toward you, front side!" Shakiel said over the comm.

I readied my weapon, anticipating the last man standing to meet my rounds. That was when I heard footsteps behind me and turned around to see the doorway. I sighed and re-aimed my weapon just in time to see the lightly armored Salarian run through, I emptied my mag, knocking him to the ground.

"Sh-Rookie!" I yelled, correcting myself.

"What?" Shakiel asked as he headed to my side of the arena. Upon entering he saw the Salarian restricted to the ground, more specifically where he was. "Oh."

"Dumbass."

"Shut up!"

The bell rang announcing the winner as we made our way over to Shea and Paul who were in the same match as us. The arena's exit opened, leading up to the rest of the gang who were collecting the earnings. We all made fun small talk as usual, but it was hard ignore the empty chair at our table.

"Still nothing from Kat?" I asked.

"Nope, and there's no point trying to get Terran to find her location since she was trained to be off the grid," said Lucas.

"I could see she was troubled back when I was at her place." Kasumi said. "Maybe something personal came up."

"Maybe." I muttered.

"Well, I guess we might as well head out, I could use a good crash back at the apartment." Paul said, rising from his chair.

Everyone else nodded in agreement and soon we were headed outside. Civilians, fans and haters leaving a path for us. My eyes drifted, more so to the brunette in the classy dress looking at me rather than the buildings.

*BOOM!*

Unfortunately, when the building behind her blows up, it does make it more difficult to keep my eyes on her.

"What the fuck!" Paul yelled.

"No time to ask, lets go!" replied Lucas. Running in a full sprint as we all ran to the inferno.

I could make out that two of floors were in a blaze while the others were gathering smoke. We slammed through the lobby, revealing terrified civilians as they kept poring from the stairs.

"The eight and ninth floor!" the receptionist yelled at Lucas. "They just..."

"We've got it!" Lucas replied. "Just make sure everyone gets there asses down here!"

The civilians coming down made the right side clear for us as we marched up. Passing people of all species, looking at us as some kind of hope. We could see the seventh floor coming up.

"Alright, two groups of four, one on each floor, got it!"

"Got it!" Everybody echoed.

Paul, Shakiel, Shea and myself departed to the eighth floor's hallway. I strapped my breathing mask on as everyone else had sealed helmets equipped. There were four apartments, one for each of us. I took the last one to the right, slamming my gloved fist on the switch as the door opened. I staggered back from the sudden heat, feeling like my skin was going to melt. Taking a deep breath, I ran in and soaked up the heat, keeping my eyes peeled for anyone. The kitchen and lounge were empty, only leaving the bedrooms. I stepped inside to find a bed in flames, I circled around when...

_Holy shit!_

My back slammed into the wall, I leaped away from it as my spine was being cooked. I looked back at the burning body that scared the shit out of me, human male, middle-aged. The body's position suggested he'd been on the ground before the explosion. Suddenly I heard a faint cry over the noise coming from the closet. I opened it, revealing kid who couldn't have been any older than two. His cries turned into screams as the heat intensified. I grabbed him and ran back through the apartment.

"Guys, I'm getting out of here! I'll meet you at the lobby."

"Sure thing!" Shea responded.

I was out of the hallway and ticking down the stairs with the boy still crying on my shoulder. I finally got to the lobby, containing even more panicked citizens. I tossed off the breathing mask and walked over to the receptionist.

"Do you know if there's any family members for this kid h..."

"Alex!"

I turned around to see a blonde girl, around eight to ten years old. She ran toward me as I lowered her little brother, whom she grabbed onto, laughing and sobbing. That was when she turned to me. "What about Dad? Is he okay?"

Back when I was in C-Sec, I could hand the talking to someone else. The last thing a relative of a dead person wanted to see was a seventeen-year old joker who can feel for them but doesn't know exactly what to say. My mouth opened and closed, trying to say the right thing. Even if there was no such thing to a girl who's lost her father. My silence answered her question as she clung to her brother even more in tears. I figured the best thing was to leave.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I got up to see the rest of the team walking down stairs.

"I don't want to ask, do I?" I said as Lucas stomped.

"Not one fucking survivor!" He hissed. "You found someone right? I heard you over the chat."

I gestured to the _someone_. "An infant, that's her sister. I found their father's body. He had been looking for the infant when it happened. If his son hadn't been hiding they'd both be dead."

"Shit man."

_Hollywood, it ain't. _

That was when the sirens soared around us.

"Goddamn it," Lucas muttered. "Lets go! Before C-Sec finds us here and turns the place into a war zone."

Nobody objected. We got out, jumped into the shuttle and roared off as the Citadel's _protectors _handled the situation.

* * *

><p>I was getting tired of all our silent shuttle rides. It was supposed to be us saying "Screw you" to the idiots in charge, this is how you save the day, aren't we fucking special? It wasn't supposed to be a group of young adults seeing shit that ranged from interrogations with metal pipes and fathers burnt to a crisp. At least we were able to deal with it peacefully. No shouting matches, no Lucas coming to break the argument and no smashing things, as tempting as it was. We packed our gear and went to our respective apartments to calm the hell down. I walked past Josh and Kasumi, hitting the code for my door. His place was far from fixed but the repairmen were able to make it a survivable shelter, even if it only contained a mattress.<p>

I stepped inside to my own and collapsed on the couch, as I decided to repeat an action one more time. I hit call on my Omni-tool, followed by a ring and an answering machine.

"When you hear the beep, start talking."

*BEEP*

_Typical. _"Well Kat, I'm talking, the problem is you aren't. Call back soon, we're getting worried back here."

I sighed and laid my head back for a rest. Not caring if I was going to wake up with a pain in my leg while wearing dirty clothes. The sleep came almost the instant I shut my eyes, I unconsciously hoped that it would last. It didn't. My slumber was soon broken up by the door bell. It's sound bounced off the walls as I reluctantly got to my feet.

"Just a second!" I called out. "Jesus Christ,"

I opened the door to something...odd.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"Phillip Stahl?" The Turian asked.

Phil nodded.

"Executor Pallin wants to see you and your friends immediately." I could see Phil trying to hide his shock. "Please come us."

He cautiously stepped out of his apartment to see me as well as everyone else - excluding Shakiel, Kasumi and Lia - being surrounded by officers. My heart was racing as the police escorted us to the elevator, where I knew there would be multiple cruisers waiting outside.

_What did I do wrong? Our identities were secured! Nobody saw our faces at the Arena! Terran had the best security in Citadel space! We never spent too much money at one department! Nothing! _I tried to keep my face neutral, hoping that these officers were to escort us, not observe our emotions. I thought about fighting them but I needed to know what was happening first. I wasn't about to possibly kill police officers just because I had a bad feeling. Even if it was a very, very bad feeling.

A feeling that stuck with me all the way up to when we were walking through the C-Sec lobby and standing outside the briefing room. Stepping inside revealed the unchanged space and the man himself standing in front of the screen, facing dozens of perfectly lined up chairs. The guards moved to the sides as the door shut. An awkward silence filled the air as the Executor's neutral face echoed mine.

"Please, sit down." He gestured to the front row.

_Hello to you to, Sir. _We took our seats.

"I'm sure you've all heard by now of the explosion on Zakera Ward?" We nodded. "We recently got an anonymous tip that came with this recording." He hit a button and soon we could hear some ambient sounds from the file.

"You've got the device?" The male Turian-sounding name asked.

"Affirmative."

_Wait...that's Kat's voice._

"Just like old times." The male voice said.

"What's next?"

"We need to keep this under wraps. There's an apartment building on Zakera Ward. I'm sending you the coordinates now. Once you're there, go to 802 on the eighth floor."

"Copy that, Pallin out."

Everyone sat in silence until Bjorn spoke up. "That's Ka..."

"Katrina Pallin," the Executor finished. "My daughter." He looked at me. "Now I know you're going to question me about this. That's why I've also got this,"

The screen depicted a picture of the blazing building. Along with a highlighted portion, revealing a purple tat female Turian on her feet outside. I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything.

"The male voice on the file was Maxis Kellar, formally Corporal Kellar. He was in the same unit as my daughter's back when they were doing their tour in the military. My daughter was also trained as a scout. However she on many occasions had to sneak into enemy bases, as well as plant explosives. I apologize for the sudden pickup but I needed you here as quickly as possible."

"Why?"

"All of you were responsible for rescuing my daughter last year. I'm hoping that with your involvement, that we can avoid the worst. No matter what happens though, your objective will be the same."

"Objective?"

"Find and capture Katrina Pallin, dead or alive."

**Now Playing : Ramin Djawadi (Medal of Honor OST) - The Summit**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : I ended up writing this mostly on one day, weirdly enough. I was originally going to start this off with a flashback but I'm going to save that for later. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, PEACE.<strong>


	24. Chapter 24 : Apprehension

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 24 : Apprehension**

**October 22nd, 2182**

**9:10 PM, Citadel Time**

**C-Sec Academy**

There were many smells on the Citadel. Anything from Chinese food to bottled fragrances, but few of them were real. I visited Vancouver on a consistent basis back home but I never lived in the city, except for when I was an infant. I was used to being surrounded by trees, feeling the breeze of the ocean, being able to take a deep breath free of chemicals. Now it was all artificial, the smells I mean not the actual Citadel like...oh forget it. I stopped questioning what was real and what wasn't since the lines were a blur. Maybe my old life was all a dream, maybe this was all a dream. If I kept thinking about it I'd probably would've died from insanity.

The point is, it didn't escape my mind that it was kind of creepy that dead flesh brought nostalgia, in the form of the morgue.

Izan jumped when he turned away from a body to look at me, sighing in relief when one of his buddies hadn't come to life. "Spirits Lucas! You scared me."

"Dude, you're surrounded by corpses."

"What's weird about that?"

"Do you know anyone else surrounded by corpses?"

"This guy right here for a kick off," he smirked, gesturing to the body on the table, earning a chuckle from me. His grin faded to a small smile. "I heard about what happened. You and your friends getting dragged back just so you could save the boss' daughter again."

"It sure would be a lot easier if she was a damsel in distress."

"There's no such thing when it comes to Turians. Our genders didn't go through the same things as your species. No offense." He held his hands up.

"None taken." I smiled. "It is funny seeing this lab again."

"I still don't get why you left," he said, shaking his head. "I understand that the situation was bad but that comes with the job."

I shrugged. "It just wasn't for me. Plus the paperwork was a fucking nightmare."

He chuckled. "One of the reasons I'm glad I chose forensics instead of being a cop."

"Why didn't you become a cop? Didn't you and Johan go through the military together?"

"We did, but as wild as our stories are we weren't anything special. By the time I finished my stint I was done with it. I wanted to move onto something else. I didn't thirst for more action like some of my colleagues. Some people need that rush after it becomes second nature to them and some don't."

_Makes sense, him and Johan's stories always seemed to be about them seeing rather then causing. _

"That's why I don't get why you quit." He said, snapping me back. "You don't have that look in you're eye like I did."

His look was piercing, like he could see through me. It made me think back to when I said No to the mystery man's option. I couldn't go back to the life of normality after everything that happened. It's like when retired adrenaline freaks that say they purposely leave late when catching a flight, just so they can get some kind of rush again. I never understood it when people told me they "Need" to do something optional, now I did. I didn't agree with it, but I got it.

Izan's look only sparked one thought in my mind._ He's onto me._

I looked away toward a wall and awkwardly cleared my throat. "Well, I better get over to the armory, the search for Pallin's daughter starts soon."

"Don't mind me," he said as I made my way to the exit. "Oh, Lucas!" he called out. "You don't mind if I turn up to your birthday empty handed like last time right?"

"I didn't before, no reason for this time to be different." I smiled, heading out the door.

* * *

><p>A short elevator ride later and I was walking through the armory and shooting range. Bringing back memories of my first days here and sniper battles with Ian and Garrus. I could see the group gathered around the wall of weapons and a line of vests equipped with kinetic barriers. The nostalgia intensified when I saw Bailey and Chellick.<p>

"I still don't know how you wear those damn things Chellick." I gestured to his blue and black skin tight suit.

"Good to see you too Lucas."

"How are you doing kid?" Bailey said, giving me a handshake.

"Just fine old man." I smirked, to which he shoved one of the vests onto my chest, making me laugh.

"You say that because I call you Kid or because I'm actually old?"

"Both."

"You're probably right about the latter, my daughter is starting high school next year,"

"Wow, they do grow up fast,"

"Tell me about it. Especially when I only get to see them on rare occasions."

My smirked faded while I equipped my vest. "My mom and dad were divorced too, I know what it's like."

"Any advice?"

"Just know that your daughter's getting old enough to start asking you and your ex questions, and I'm not talking about the easy ones." I reached for the Avenger and pistol on the wall, making me regret not bringing my P99 look-a-like.

"I appreciate the honesty."

"I try."

Bailey's eyes drifted to Paul taking two Predator pistols from the wall.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Chellick asked.

"I'll be fine. I'm used to dual wielding on mis - the range," Paul said, correcting himself.

"Really?"

"Yeah, here," Paul made his way to one of the isles, raised the two weapons and started unloading at the targets. He noticed the recoil difference compared to his custom Glocks, indicated by the blank targets and following laughter from. Paul cursed under his breathe and reached for an SMG, holstering it along with the Predator. Suddenly everyone's Omni-tool's rang with a message from Pallin, instructing us to meet him at the garage.

We followed his command and soon we met him along with at least a dozen other officers.

"What are they for?" Phil asked.

"Reinforcements. My daughter was spotted not far away from the station's transport dock, there have been reports of multiple shots fired in the area."

"Do we know who fired first?" I asked.

"No, all we know is that Katrina could possibly be making a run for the transport station to get off the Citadel."

I masked my confusion. _Why would she go and shoot up an area if she wanted to get off the station? She was trained to not be spotted. _

Reluctantly we split up into groups across six police cruisers.

* * *

><p>As cool as the nostalgia ways, truth be told, I hated having to do this with the cops. Whatever Kat was doing, it was clearly out of rage. She was experienced to the bone and someone with said experience wouldn't manage to attract this much attention. The last thing I needed was her rage to lead to us getting caught by the very people that wanted us behind bars. Saying that we were on thin ice doesn't quite cut it.<p>

"Okay," Pallin said over the comm. "We've got multiple hostiles in the area, mercenaries most likely. Kat was spotted in the area less than a minute ago so we need you to move in as quickly as possible."

"Gee, thanks," Phil said as our cruiser descended.

"You have full clearance to shoot any threats you encounter. Good luck."

The cruiser landed, Phil, Paul, Bailey and myself stepped out, upon seeing the remaining vehicles land and reveal the rest of the gang, along with the reinforcements. Everyone turned to Chellick as he was declared the leader.

"Alright people, you already know what our objective is. Find and capture Katrina Pallin. I'm going to assign four teams, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Bjorn, Paul, Van, Adam and myself are Alpha. Lucas, Phil, Shea, Josh and Bailey are Bravo."

I tuned out when he assigned the people I didn't know to their squads and tuned back when I heard the words "Move out".

"Terran, you online with us?" I asked over the comm.

"Yep, I'll do everything I can."

"Good, see you later." Bailey being with us was bad. Now I had to come up with a way to get rid of him. Injury was out of the question as that would just get me boned right away and it's not like I could politely ask the mercs to keep Bailey pinned down as I pass through. It was a bridge I would have to cross when I got to it. We were just outside the front door of the first building on the west where there were shots fired.

Shea and I took point with our assault rifles raised and ready. He slammed on the door's hologram. The hallway was empty but shots were being fired down the hall. We held our breaths as we encountered mercenaries firing outside windows. One of them leaned back to reload when he spotted us and reached for his pistol.

"Mother fuc..."

His light armor only protected the first three shots I fired at close range. Shea and Phil took down the two remaining hostiles and the area was cleared. I peeked out the window to see what they were shooting, and low and behold there was the familiar purple tat Turian, taking cover.

"There she is!" Bailey said.

"We can't just tell her to put her hands up while they're shooting at her," Phil said.

"I know." Bailey activated his communicator. "Chellick, sit-rep on the squads!"

"We're making progress on the east! Charlie and Delta are still trying to block the extra paths in the front and back if Katrina does push through the enemy fire."

"Copy that, we're going on the move."

Bailey took the lead as we followed and exited the building, keeping an eye out for hostiles. We opened the door for the neighboring building, there was nobody on the floor when I noticed feet descending to the ground from a rope.

"Contact!" Bailey yelled, opening fire on the rappelling enemies.

I placed my back against the wall and began to fire at a shot gunner who didn't stand a chance. I ejected a magazine when more shots hit my cover. I flinched and reached the pistol on my hip and blind fired. "I need some help here!" I yelled out. Shea focused his fire on my enemies location, pinning them down as I switched to reloading my rifle and fired down the hall again. Despite this, they just kept coming. I ejected another heat sink and jammed in a new one as the wall I took cover behind kicked up more dust from enemy fire. I blind fired the rest of my mag to suppress the fuckers when the shooting stopped. I peeked around to see the last shooter on the floor with one round through his head.

"Nice shot," I replaced another magazine.

"I didn't fire that," said Shea.

"None of us did," replied Bailey. "Keep your eyes open, there might be someone else here. Lets go upstairs. There might be some enemies camped above." Bailey took point while we walked up the stairs. Suddenly my Omni-tool buzzed, indicating another chat. With four others watching for surprise attacks I hit answer and saw that the chat contained Kasumi and Shakiel.

"You're welcome for that." It was the latter's voice.

"Thanks," I whispered. "Where are you?"

"We're sneaking around on the rooftops. We've got your back," Kasumi said. "By the way, I've been keeping an eye on Kat and I think I know why she's really here."

"Why?" We entered the top floor.

"Because she's chasing someone."

"Wha..."

"RPG!" Phil shouted.

I dived for the floor, ignoring the pain in my chest and covering my head as the fifty-mile-per-hour rocket hit the wall. My hearing went as the floor violently shook in tandem with my body. The dust from the explosion made me cough. My hearing started to fade in, allowing me to register shuffling feet.

"Holy shit, are you okay!" Shakiel asked.

"I'm fine." I got to my feet and reached for my rifle. "Please tell me he's down."

"Someone took him down, probably one of the reinforcements," said Bailey. Making me remember where I was. I hit my Omni-tool and switched back to the regular comm channel.

"This is Bravo," Paul said in his fake military voice. "All hostiles have been eliminated on our turf. Over."

"Look!" Bailey called out. "She's making a run for it."

I looked out to see that she was indeed charging on. "Chellick, are Charlie and Delta ready?" I asked over the comm.

"Negative! The mercs have switched their attention to them and are pinned down!"

_Shit! _I looked at the rappel that the enemies had used earlier. "Come on guys, we can't let her get away."

They followed as I holstered my rifle and slid down the rope, thankful that I had gloves on. I landed and started to run to the same path Kat took while my comrades followed. I could see her in the distance as I sprinted. Just as I saw her take a left I was suddenly showered in rounds from above. My shields were declining rapidly, I started to head for cover to my left as the shields hit Critical. I blindly fired my weapon in the general direction of the incoming fire as my shields went offline. I leaped off my feet and crashed into the wall, coughing heavily from the landing. If my chest could speak it'd probably be saying "Quit beating the shit out of me!"

I placed my back against the cover to see Phil, Shea and Josh rush beside me to sit behind the same piece of cover. Bailey was behind cover on the right side, getting hammered with enemy fire. I peeked out of cover to take down one of the enemies before I rushed back in to avoid counter fire. _Kat's going to get away if we sit here any longer. _My head darted all around when I saw what looked like an old alleyway behind a bunch of junk. I tapped Shea on the shoulder and pointed toward it. He had the same idea and soon enough relayed it to the others. I popped out a few more shots before Shea dragged me over to the alleyway where we all shoved the junk out of the way.

"What are you guys doing!" Bailey said over the comm.

"If we sit here any longer, Kat's going to get away!" I replied.

"Stay here! You're not The Wild Bunch. You follow command, stand by! That's an order!"

_Sorry Bailey. _The last of the junk was shoved away. We started running.

"Lucas! Josh! Shea! Phil! Get your asses back here!"

I zoned out the communicator and soon we were out onto a different street. A sky-car zoomed over our heads, I looked to see a used car dealership, as well as a female Turian running for it.

"There she is!" Josh said.

We ran toward her. Kat was trying to hack her way into one of the cars. She glanced up to see us and reached for her rifle, pointing it at us as we did the same in return.

"Kat! Stop!" I said.

"Get the fuck out of here you guys! You're in my way!"

"We're a team, of course we're in your way!"

"I don't have time for your bullshit Lucas! I've been betrayed, blown up and shot at. The last thing I need is you guys trying to stop me from finishing this!"

"Finishing what exactly?" Phil retorted.

"None of your business!"

"Your father went through the trouble of hiring us to capture and possibly kill you! So it is our fucking business!"

Kat was conflicted.

"We were told about you and Kellar," I said. "About how you two were in the same unit together. Your father thinks he used you to blow up the building at Zakera."

Kat sighed. "I was used by Kellar. He told me he knew where the person who fucked up my life was. Only for me to find out that he was working for that very person! And he's going to get away with a vital key for whatever his next fucked up plan is if you keep arguing with me."

It sounded like the real story. Yet I had such a hard time going through with it. I turned my head at the sound of voices in the distance, coupled with sirens. I looked back at Kat who still had her rifle pointed at us.

"Your call," she said.

My mind was bouncing like kangaroos, trying to weigh the logic with each decision. Suddenly Phil muzzled his weapon and moved toward Kat. Josh looked at me and made his way toward her too.

_Fuck it. _I relaxed my weapon and went to the car. "Let's go catch this bastard."

I saw a small sign of relief on Kat's face, only to be overwritten by determination immediately. She opened the door and hopped into the driver's seat, while Phil took the front and the rest of us got in the back. Kat activated the engines and kicked the vehicle into gear, rising it into the distance at high speeds in seconds.

"Where do you think Kellar's going?" Phil asked.

"The only place left for him to go. He's making a run for the transport station."

I activated my communicator. "Bailey are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine, no thanks to you." His voice filled with anger.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Look Bailey, I'm sorry alright. I just want to know where you are because I'm on Katrina's tail. I think she's headed for the transport station."

There was a long pause before Bailey responded. "Alright, I'll have Charlie and Delta make their way to the station now. But you and I are gonna have a talk when this shit is done."

"Aye, aye."

Kat looked at me accusingly. "What was that! Why would you give away our destination!"

"Because that will give Kellar less places to go. C-Sec wont simply let a guy followed by mercs go on a space ship and fuck off."

Through the zooming traffic I could see the station in question in the distance. Raising a new problem. "How are we going to not be noticed."

"As in?"

"We're supposed to be chasing you. I don't think that'd appear so if hundreds of people saw us getting out of the same car."

She sighed. "They will be a side entrance for workers that you can use. I'll drop you off and you can just tell C-Sec that you took the scenic route or something."

I nodded and within a minute the vehicle quickly descend until Kat roughly landed it on the ground, sparks flying until it came to a stop in front of a door that said "Employee's Only". The car door opened and the four of us hopped out.

"If you see Kellar, take the shot." Kat said before closing the door and heading out.

Shea hit the hologram, revealing a traditional undecorated corridor. I took point, not bothering to raise my weapon until I had a clear sight on an enemy. We ran past a worker who jumped in shock as we ran through another door. Revealing the transit station with bright lights, overwhelming decorations and Kat running down the main hall, scaring the shit out of the civilians. I could hear sirens outside too. This was beyond too close for comfort.

"C-Sec, drop your weapons!" I shouted. More to scare civilians out of the way then actually having an affect on Kat. She made her way up the stairs, leaving a clear path for us. Despite running as quickly as possible we were losing Kat as she was a Turian and by default, taller than all of us.

"This is Lucas. We're losing Katrina at the transport station. Is there anyone nearby!" I said over the comm.

Suddenly I turned and stopped to see shattering glass with a cop car outside. The door opened to show Bailey behind the wheel.

"Are you just going to stand there? Get in!"

We complied and made a break for it, hopping into our seats before Bailey stepped on the gas. We hanged on as we were on the ship docking floor itself, I kept my eye out for any sign of Kat, Kellar or Mercs.

"You said you were losing her here?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah, she could be anywhere, but she doesn't seem to be trying to get out of here." I said. _Come on Bailey, take the hint!_

"Who knows what's going on in her head. Just keep an eye out for her."

_Damn it!_

"There she is!" Phil said.

I looked to see that she was headed toward a ship, coincidentally, one that was guarded by mercenaries.

"Step on it!" I yelled.

Bailey welded his foot to the floor. Kat was still running, taking pop shots at the mercs retreating to the ship. By now plenty of other police cruisers were behind us. Bailey lowered the vehicle gently, landing us close to her location. She kept running at the ship, which had just closed its doors as the last merc still alive moved in.

"Don't run from me Kellar you piece of shit!" she shouted.

The ship started to move slowly. "You hear me! I'll fucking kill you and your boss!"

We hopped out as she ran off, not acknowledging us as the ship started to move further away. Kat held the trigger of her assault rifle, venting all her rage in an animalistic scream. Her weapon fired its last shot, dully hitting the ship's shell, giving her nothing but a dry click from the trigger. She yelled words my translator couldn't pick up as she threw her weapon on the ground, nearly shattering it.

She didn't have time to grieve as she was surrounded by cops with their weapons trained on her. I stayed behind the line of fire, as did the others. I didn't feel like pointing a weapon at a friend twice in one day.

"Put your hands behind your head, now!" Chellick said, taking charge.

Kat was still shaking from rage but she could see that there was no getting out of this. She closed her eyes and put her hands up, resting them behind her fringe. One of the cops snatched her arm and tightly cuffed her hands together. As the cop in question walk near us, Phil grabbed him and looked him right in the eye, scaring the cop.

"Don't ever do that again, you understand?"

The rookie cop nodded quickly and earned a shove from Phil. "Now loosen those cuffs. She's a scout not fucking King Kong."

The cop did as he was told and moved Kat over to one of the cruisers. She turned around to look at us just before getting in. While still filled with venom, there was something else that I could see from experience.

Regret.

**Now Playing : Joel Nielsen (Black Mesa OST) - Apprehension (Mesa Remix)**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Okay, I'm sorry for taking so long to get this out but I've been a bit busy. First off I spent five days in the US going to PAX 2012 (I plan to post a video with footage me and my friends shot) and my mother was so busy during the week I was gone that she wasn't able to beta read until last night. I tried to make up for it with a longer chapter though so I hope it works out. As always I hope you enjoyed the chapter, PEACE.<strong>


	25. Chapter 25 : Tainted

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 25 : Tainted**

**October 23nd, 2182**

**10:45 AM, Citadel Time**

**C-Sec Academy**

**(Lucas)**

Everyone except Kat and I had gone home. The female Turian was talking to her father and it was going to stay that way for some time. That wasn't why I was still there though. My reason had arrived when I heard my Omni-tool beep;

"Rooftop, ASAP".

I sighed, got up from my seat and stepped inside an empty elevator.

It occurred to me that I didn't have a plan for dealing with Bailey. I had gone against his orders which I could easily counter with it working out. The fact I left him behind as a friend was what I didn't have any justification for. Telling him the truth would blow my cover and he wouldn't be as easy to lie to. It was far too late to come up with a plan however. The elevator doors opened, revealing a lone figure in a C-Sec uniform overlooking the Presidium. The daylight here despite being evening downstairs was as jarring as ever but it looked amazing. Not that this was a great time to admire it. By now I was right next to Bailey.

"What happened, Lucas?" asked Bailey.

I leaned my back on the railing. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"My friends and I were brought in to help capture Pallin's daughter. We did just that and we wouldn't have been able to if I hadn't disobeyed your orders."

Bailey's look was of the "Are you kidding me?" type. "Lucas I'm your friend so when you give me bullshit, it's insulting."

"It's not bullshit! Had we sat there, Kat would have gotten away."

"That's not why you really went after her though,"

"What? Why else would I go after her?"

"I don't know but the fact you already know Pallin's daughter on a nickname basis is questionable."

"Sorry I don't feel like saying 'Katrina Pallin' whenever she's brought up,"

"Lucas..."

"Has it ever occurred to you that you should be thanking me?"

"No. Why should it?"

I really hated playing this card. "Because if we hadn't been there you would've been in charge of a squad of rookies. To which at that point you would've sat there with your squad and let Kat get away."

"Exc..."

"What do you think Pallin would have thought about that? Especially if he found out you were the one that left her behind. He probably would have asked for your gun, badge and demoted you to a fucking desk job, but that didn't happen. Instead, we made the move and brought her back, so now she can get a lecture from her daddy."

I waited for Bailey to give his response but he remained silent. Giving me the piercing eyes that Izan had earlier, but it didn't have any look of understanding or sympathy. It had a look of "get the fuck out".

I started to walk back to the elevator. As the doors opened I turned around to look at Bailey. "I'm sorry." There were no cards played, I really meant it. I stepped inside and slammed my fist on the button for the exit.

* * *

><p><strong>(Kat)<strong>

I used to infiltrate top secret bunkers guarded by dozens of men surrounded by laser grids, impenetrable cameras and DNA scanners. So sneaking into the base at five in the morning didn't seem very challenging. I stepped inside a pitch black room, the only illumination being a few LED's. I heard some rustling and quickly turned to see Phil laying in his Medbay. I looked back forward and started to walk over to grab my bag.

"Well look who's back!" A female voice announced.

_Shit. _I was forced to block my eyes as the lights flicked on. When I moved my blocking arm it revealed the universe's friendliest thief walking toward me and suddenly wrapped her arms around me.

"Uhh...isn't this a bit...intimate?"

This earned a raspy chuckle from Phil. "It's okay Kat, sometimes friend's hug each other too. By which I mean Kasumi."

Said thief had pulled away. "So how were the lectures?"

I sighed and went over to pick up my bag. "Fine."

"Uh oh. I know that tone."

"What happened?" Phil asked.

I started to pack the few things I needed. "Nothing. He was mad as usual, we had a talk and he let me go."

I didn't turn to look back but heard footsteps heading for the door. I let out a breath of relief, thankful for the space, allowing me to think. Briefly.

"So what's with the bag?" Phil asked.

Annoyed, I zipped my bag closed. "I need to do something."

"You're not leaving are you?"

"No I just. There's somewhere I need to go."

"This is about that Op isn't it?"

_I never thought I'd miss the annoying Phil. _"Phil please. I need to do this. I'll be gone for three days at the most but until then just let me go."

He remained silent as I headed to the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

The past is a constant, something that is always with us no matter what. Every second that ticks by is a second that can no longer be altered. What ever happens in that second is set for eternity. We all desire the good moments, so we can look back motivated to keep making the seconds count. Of course this doesn't always work out, then what? You can try to ignore it sure, but the past has a funny way of catching you off guard.

*BUZZ* *BUZZ*

"I'll get that," I called out as the party chatter echoed off the walls.

"Bjorn!" Ian yelled. "Stop, fucking, turtling!"

This only made the young viking laugh in response.

"Are you sure you don't want some of this stuff Ian?" Rebecca laughed holding a bottle of Asari wine.

"The temptation hasn't crossed my mind."

The idea that it's easier to ignore the past is an illusion. The best thing you can do with the past is face it. So that the seconds can count toward the now.

I opened the door to see a familiar old man in his off-duty clothes. "Bailey." I said, surprised. "I wasn't expecting to come by."

"Neither was I if I'm honest." He replied. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, sure." I let him inside as he looked upon many of his coworkers while remaining near the door with me.

"Look, about what happened. I'm..."

"No, don't be," he said. "I shouldn't have attacked you because you made a mistake, especially not me."

"Bailey..."

"No really. I have an ex and two kids who hate me because of my mistakes. So we can play Who's the Bigger Asshole but I guarantee you'd lose."

While I wasn't for Bailey beating himself up because of something I did, at least he forgave me, sort of. I held my hand out. "We're cool?"

He snorted at my saying. "Yeah, 'we're cool'." He shook my hand.

"Wow! Why me!" Bjorn exclaimed.

"Because anybody that builds that many turrets is an asshole!" Ian responded as his troops in the game moved up the field. Suddenly his screen flashed red with an in-game warning.

"Oh shit!"

Suddenly all of Ian's troops exploded into a red mist. Ian opened his mouth to yell at Bjorn when he saw who the attacker was on the kill count.

"Garrus!"

The Turian was doing a poor job of hiding his smirk.

"You're my partner! You're supposed to protect me from explosions!"

"When we're on duty," he replied.

"Oh for fuck sake."

* * *

><p><strong>(Kat)<strong>

I eschewed the shuttle for my own two feet. Now I stood only a few hundred yards away from my starting point on this green planet, illuminated by its three moons. _So this is what it's like to face the past huh? Time to see what all the fuss is about. _I encountered the small six foot drop and let the game begin.

I was right at my starting point on that day. Except I was lying in wait, looking down the sights of my rifle, along with Kellar. It was around the same time of day too. We heard about some gang stealing a weapon as well as capturing dozens of civilians. We were supposed to just be on watch when we got the order to infiltrate the outpost. I didn't like how the show started but orders were orders.

I walked down the curved hill, ignoring the feeling of grass under my feet as I was getting lost in the memory. I passed the tree I had hid behind in. The compound wasn't as advanced some of the other bases I infiltrated but this had a lot of guards, even for me. I couldn't just take them down if Kellar or I got spotted. Right when we were moving into the compound's main area was when it really started though.

_I suddenly heard gunfire and it didn't come from one of the gang's low-tech assault rifles. I saw at the corner of my eye our Turian leader for this assignment getting out of the base as the alarms were going off. The guards in the area weren't focused on him though, instead opting for us as we were standing out in the open. The gang opened fire like it was the end of the galaxy and we ran for cover inside the main building, while our shields rapidly declined._

"_Sir, what the fuck was that!" I didn't care about asking for permission to speak freely._

"_My job, the weapon is secure. Now get out of there," he calmly replied._

"_And what about the civilians! Because of you were pinned down at the main base! We need support asap!"_

"_Contact!" Kellar called out, switching to his pistol as he fired at two enemies._

"_Don't worry about it. I'll get support on its way. Just be sure to be in the underground floor in two minutes."_

"_What! Sir!" _

_He didn't respond. _

"_Shit!" I holstered my sniper and readied my pistol to help Kellar._

The building hadn't been renovated. I had to turn on my Omni-tool's flashlight, spotting the bullet holes and scraps still littering the place. Not to my surprise the underground floor was accessible too.

"_Sergeant. We've got white phosphorus strikes on the way."_

"_What! We need ground support! This place is filled with civilians. We can't use air suppo..." I felt the ground shake and rattle as I heard a massive explosion, then another, and another..._

I looked to the other side of the floor, seeing the big door leading to the surface. I stopped, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. _I opened them against my instinct. I had seen devastation before, I could handle this. The sky was masked by a sea of dust and smoke, many parts of the ground still in flames, along with many bodies, some still moving. _

"_Spirits," Kellar breathed out._

_One of the gang members was screaming in the open field as he fell to the ground in flames. I wasn't going in any general direction, it was all the same. I turned to see a body that was smaller than the usual gang members, next to a destroyed hut. My body walked toward it, even as my mind screamed "Get out!". I knelt down and flipped the body over with my gloved hand, revealing a Batarian child, its four eyes...gone. My sight drifted to the destroyed hut, I stood up and reached out to move the debris._

"_Kat."_

_I turned to see Kellar looking at me with the same expression as mine. "We've got to get moving."_

Ever after all these years, I knew I was standing in the exact same spot as that day. I never looked at what was under that hut. I was glad but that left my imagination to fill in the blanks, and the imagination can be a destructive force. Everything came back to me. The pain, guilt, regret, anger, everything. But for some reason, facing this gave me the one thing I lost that day.

Control.

* * *

><p>I didn't need to stay any longer. I pulled myself up the small cliff and headed back to the car. Going through all of this left me with a certain focus I didn't have before, but I kept asking myself one question.<p>

"Was it worth it?" asked a human male leaning against the car.

I looked at him, remembering what happened on the way.

_It was finally my turn in the ship's line up on the Citadel. It was a bit overkill sure but it was the earliest flight to my destination. I walked up to see Volus behind the counter._

"_*click* Identification please. *click *."_

_I complied and uploaded the data from my Omni-tool._

"_Ah, Mrs. Pallin. *click * You may proceed to your room in 103.*_

"_Wait, 103? As in the first floor?"_

"_Yes, that is correct."_

_I decided to go with it and not hog up the line._

"_Stupid cuttle bone," I heard the Volus mutter. _

_This was weird. The first floor was meant for the upper class and was way too expensive for what it was. My mind was kept in a puzzled state until I opened the room's door, revealing a familiar idiot spinning around on a floating stool._

"_These chairs are fucking weird!" Phil said as he kept going in circles._

"_Phil."_

_He stopped and looked at me, while he wobbled. "What?"_

"_Get out."_

"_But..."_

"_Get out, right now."_

_"But I paid for this room." _

_My eyes stayed on him as his rolled like a ball. _

"_Okay, maybe I got Kasumi to help out but still!"_

"_I told you to leave this to me."_

_He sighed. "Look. Whatever it is you were planning to do, you go ahead and do it. But the last time I saw someone deal with things themselves started to go around beating shit-for-brains with pipes. So excuse me for not wanting to see this it repeated."_

_The room was in a silence until I broke it. "I'm not going to get rid of you am I?"_

_I felt the ship shake slightly, as ships do when they take off. _

"_Well now that the ship is leaving, no...probably not," Phil said awkwardly. _

_I rolled my eyes and sat on one of the big chairs._

"_I'm going to get a drink, want anything?" _

"_No."_

_He shook his head. "You know it wouldn't kill you to say 'thanks' every once in a while."_

_No but I sure was close to killing him. I wasn't sure what annoyed me more, Phil or the fact that the chair was really comfy._

"Yeah, it was." I said, knowing that my thoughts made for a long pause.

"Good, now I can steal one of those stools when we get back." He smiled, opening the door.

"Phil."

He stopped and looked at me.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He smiled. "Now let's go home. I need someone to yell at."

I paused outside the car before stepping in the car. "Yeah, home."

I may have gotten my control back, but I couldn't help but feel that 'home' just felt...right. When the day comes and it would, I knew that they would be there with me. As I moved the shuttle into the air, there was one final thought.

_Saren is gonna pay._

**Now Playing : Celldweller - Tainted**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : And there's your big reveal. This chapter was such a pain to write because all of the scenes could've gone in such different ways with no clear "Best" way. I hope it turned out well. As for this story, there will be one more case before the finale. After that I'll take the time to rewrite MA1 and once I'm done with that I can move onto MA3, which I've had some big things planned for. By the way, that's what the new cover is for. It'll make more sense when the Revision of MA1 is out. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know if you did and as always, PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. Is it just me or is the song a perfect theme for Kat?**


	26. Chapter 26 : Truth Revealed

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 26 : Truth Revealed**

**March 16th, 2183**

**3:00 PM, Citadel Time**

**Alliance Interview Room #6**

"Did you ever feel that the Executor knew more then he was letting on?" Anderson asked.

"On occasion. I was scared when his officers showed up but he didn't take us then."

"When did you know for sure he knew who you and your friends were?"

"Just before Christmas."

"How?"

"It happened after one of our last cases."

I knew the drill by now. Anytime a case was mentioned I had to elaborate.

"After what happened to Kasumi and Kat, nothing much came up for a while. Just the usual small time crap. However we were hearing things from Ian. Something about how he and Garrus were closer to finding a lead on who was causing the rise of organs on the black market. Naturally this caught our interest and soon enough we were going after the same suspect. Granted, we had different goals in mind."

In truth we wouldn't have bothered with the case if I hadn't recognized the main suspect, Dr. Saleon, a mad Salarian behind some nasty organ transplants. Garrus - in game - never caught him due to Citadel command refusing his orders to shoot down the Dr.'s ship.

"What happened?"

* * *

><p><strong>December 18th, 2182<strong>

**1:00 PM, Citadel Time**

**Yuan Laboratories, Zakera Ward**

It had been quite some time since we were on a mission without Kasumi, Kat or Lia. It was Shea, Josh, Bjorn, Paul and myself. Though really it was just Bjorn and Josh. We learned early on that Dr. Saleon's place was surrounded by bullet proof windows. We couldn't pick off the guy when he was on his way either, far too many civilians in the way. The only way we could get rid of Saleon was to take the bastard out as soon as he entered his office.

We only had one shot but I felt confident. We had sabotaged the elevator, allowing Bjorn and Josh to head in disguised as repairmen, giving us free access to the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>(Josh)<strong>

"Alright, we're ready to go," Lucas said over the comm.

"Couldn't we have gotten something less ugly than this?" I asked looking down at the tight suits. Made worse by the fact we were wearing our gear underneath.

"Have you ever seen a cool looking repairman?"

"Touche."

We walked through the spinning doors to the main lobby, an elevator to the left. _That's our ticket. _I stepped toward the human secretary behind the desk. "Hi, we got a call about a busted elevator?"

She didn't even look from her screen. "Yep. Go ahead and do whatever you do to fix it."

I walked away shaking my head. She sounded like a robot. Bjorn moved the "Out of Order" sign in front of the lift's doors and stepped inside. We had planted a bug thanks to my girlfriend's help. All we had to do was unbug it and we'd be set. I opened my Omni-tool while Bjorn shut the door. Within a few seconds the bug was removed and the elevator ascended up to the building's top floor. We unzipped our phenomenally uncomfortable disguises and slipped on the masks, folding the pile of clothes under my arm when the elevator door opened.

We stepped inside, the room lighting up, windows blocked by some kind of image, like a desktop wallpaper except...bigger. It had trees and grass but it didn't resemble Earth in the slightest.

"Uh guys, what do you see from your point of view?" I asked.

"I see two idiots walking around like they've never seen windows before." Lucas replied.

"No, I mean like do you see anything odd on our floor?"

"No, why?" asked Shea.

"Because there's some weird animated footage of a planet filling the entire room."

"He is a Salarian, so it could be his homeworld," Lucas ventured.

"Uh, we might have a problem," said Shea. The comm remained silent until...

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Lucas said.

"What?" I asked.

"Ian and Garrus just showed up."

_Uh... _"What are they doing here?"

Lucas sighed. "The same reason we are. They just called for the elevator. You better get out of there."

"How? We'll get caught if we use the stairs and the elevator's being used."

"Unless we get the doors open and wait on the elevator's roof."

I raised my eyebrows at Bjorn, surprised by his sudden speaking ability and the fact that his idea wasn't bad.

"I don't care what you do, just get out!" Lucas replied, Snapping us back in action. As we rushed to the doors I could hear the elevator making it's way up. Our arms were being put to the test, wrestling the doors like we were pushing a fat Krogan. I sighed in relief when the doors finally opened. Only to be put on edge again when we saw how close the elevator was.

We quietly stepped on the elevator's roof. I suddenly felt a solid flat panel against my skull. _Oh shit! _

"Get down!" I whispered as loudly as possible.

I landed with a thud, feeling the ceiling inches away from my body as the elevator stopped.

"What the hell?" A British accented voice asked.

_Oh shit again! _I held my breath, knowing that only a few inches of metal was all that kept us away from Ian. The silence was painful until Ian stepped through the open doors below. I slumped on the roof, smiling. _Fucking hell that was close._

"Uh guys," Lucas said. "We might have a new problem.

I felt the elevator jitter before descending, allowing Bjorn and I to stand up. "In what form?"

"In the form of a mad Salarian scientist that we heed to kill. He's standing outside of your elevator."

_Oh for God sake. Can't we catch a fucking break? What a minute. _I moved over to Bjorn's side of the elevator and spotted a movable panel. "Bingo."

"What?" asked Bjorn.

"We can use this to cap him as soon as he steps inside."

"That might not work." Lucas said when the elevator stopped.

"Why?"

"Because he's not alone. There are nine other people heading into the elevator."

"What the fuck!" I whispered, remembering the elevator was far from sound proof. _Now we have to wait for these jerkoffs to leave before we can get Saleon _"Just be sure to keep track of how many get off. We can't see anything from up here."

"Roger that,"

A slight whoosh and mumbled voices were the only things to hear until the metal box stopped, followed by the ding of doors opening.

"Three of them just departed."

_Six more to go. _The elevator resumed its climbing until coming to a stop moments later.

"And there goes five. You've got one dummy left."

"Yes, I can count Alcatraz."

This only earned a chuckle, annoying me further. Made worse by the fact that the elevator was still going.

"Oh, come on already!"

Finally it stopped.

"All clear," Lucas said.

The elevator's doors shut. Sending Bjorn and I into action. I reached for the panel, undoing the easy-to-grip screws attached to it.

"Uh, Kestrel..." said Bjorn.

"What?" I looked up to see the ceiling. _Oh shit AGAIN! _We lied prone on the roof a lot quieter than last time. There was one screw left. I unscrewed it and opened the hatch, revealing an empty box. Before I could spew profanities, another voice announced itself.

"Who are you?" A high pitched Salarian said. "What are you doing in my office?"

"Please tell me he's talking to Ian," I said over the comm.

"Yep, I'm guessing it didn't go as planned?" said Shea.

"No shit butt-munch."

"Kestrel, activate your long range mic and channel it to us. I want to hear what they're saying," Said Lucas.

_Might as well. _I opened my Omni-tool and activated the program, transferring the live data to the chat.

"C-Sec," Ian responded to Saleon. "Your secretary told me I could find you up here."

"How did you get up here?" He suddenly shouted, making me jump. "That elevator is keycard protected!"

Bjorn didn't seem interested in the conversation, instead eyeing something on the elevator's rail. "Archer, what are you thinking?"

Without warning Bjorn suddenly reached out into the elevator.

"Archer, what the hell!" I hissed. "Archer! Archer!"

Finally he stopped and came up with some..._gum in his hand?_

"I ask again, what the hell was that!"

"DNA." Bjorn shrugged, putting the gum in a small bag.

My eyes were kept trained on him.

"What? It could come in handy." He said.

"Just let me know next time."

"I really like what you've done with the office here," Ian blurted, snapping me back into the conversation.

"It was on Sur'Kesh," Saleon replied, sounding like he took a chill pill. "Salarian homeworld. Didn't think a human would appreciate that kind of thing." The short pause indicated he moved closer to the cop. "So, _C-Sec, _who are you, and what do you want up here?"

"Carmichael. Detective Charles Carmichael."

"What the fuck?" Lucas asked, befuddled.

"And I'm here to ask you some questions."

"Am I under arrest?" The Dr. asked.

"No…"

"Do I have to answer any questions then?"

"No, but…"

"Then you're in a restricted area and I suggest you leave. Immediately."

"I won't take any more of your time," Ian said with no choice in the matter. "Sorry to have bothered you."

I heard foot steps making there way back to the elevator. Reminding me of a problem. "Close it! Close it!"

Bjorn slid the panel back in place, just before the doors closed. The elevator headed back down. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"What now?"

"Sneak back out and we'll pick you up," Lucas said, sounding more contemplative than angry. "We're aborting."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

The shuttle gently set itself down inside the base, everyone slumped out. There weren't any fingers pointed, everybody held the same philosophy. Shit happens. I could see Kasumi trying to comfort Josh as we discarded our equipment. I was happy nobody took note of me heading back to my apartment. I stepped inside with Ian's voice stuck in my head.

_"Carmichael. Detective Charles Carmichael."_

It was just a fluke. I was overreacting. There was no way he actually knew the name was from an old NBC show. Yet I couldn't help but notice that he said it as if it were familiar. Somebody saying a name shouldn't have spawned this thought in my head but my instincts were taking over. I walked toward my terminal, bringing up the search browser to initiate the first test by typing in "Ian Shaw" into the search browser. The typical links showed up; C-Sec employee's, Net profile, etc.

_Okay. So when and how did he get the job? _I clicked on his C-Sec record. Skipping through the trivial details before scrolling over the day he signed up, January 18th, 2181. It didn't explain how he got the job though. I glanced at my terminal's icon for the C-Sec database. _Well there's one way to find out. _I booted up the database Terran managed to keep going despite C-Sec's attempts to shut it down. I typed in "Ian Shaw" again but this time retrieved what I was looking for. His application form. Packed with everything, including a Law degree from Oxford university? _He graduated university at 19? _I immediately followed up with my next search, "former Oxford students". This opened the flood gates.

My mind was in a haze, zoning out the ticking clock and dark lighting. The search got worse. My call to Oxford had the spokesperson in a puzzled state, saying they never had the Ian Shaw of my description. A kiosk in the marketplace had an astronomical increase in acquisitions the same day he showed up. Rebecca didn't know of his past. He hadn't bought or downloaded any music past the 21st century. His I.D. was fake. He owned a massive hospital bill for vaccines, but there were no hospital records before that. In fact there were no records of anything. Up until a year ago the man was a ghost, salvaging, trying to do the right thing as his world was turned upside down. In other words.

He was like me.

**Now Playing : Elia Cmiral (Spec Ops : The Line OST) - Truth Revealed**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : SYIASI and MA2 on the same day? How awesome is that! I really wanted to convey the last scene to show that I didn't just jump to a conclusion, that I put the effort to prove myself wrong, so I hoped that scene worked. Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. Don't read the comments for that song unless you want MASSIVE spoilers for Spec Ops : The Line, which you shouldn't because it has one of the best stories in entertainment period.**


	27. Chapter 27 : Kettering

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 27 : Kettering**

**December 19th, 2182**

**10:15 PM, Citadel Time**

**Lucas' Apartment, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

My eyes felt like they were glued shut, my throat was thick as a brick and my bones twiddled like jelly. In other words, my normal wake-up routine. I found myself sitting in a chair, specially the chair in front of my terminal with the net browser still filled with tabs about everything Ian Shaw. _Great, all I need to do next is sit in a white van outside a middle school and I can officially label myself a creep. _The fact my teeth were like ash didn't help, thanks to no brushing and a diet of bagels and soda. Not knowing what time it was I checked my computer's clock, nearly twenty past noon. _Perfect. _I got up with my neck in pain and went straight to the cupboard, reaching for the magic pills that fixed anything and everything.

While I went about eating breakfast, showering, brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I couldn't get the revelation out of my head. Ian didn't belong in this universe, that much was for certain. What I couldn't figure out though was what he had to do with the mystery man. He had never been mentioned and I never knew him until I was at C-Sec. Unless Ian had nothing to do with him. Trying to solve this puzzle was making my head feel close to exploding. With a yawn I walked out of my apartment and stepped into the base.

"Morning," I said nonchalantly to the gang, everyone was there excluding Kat.

"Wow, someone sounds miserable today," jabbed Shakiel.

"There was a reason I didn't say 'Good Morning'."

"It's not actually morning so it doesn't really..."

"Just shut up."

"Yeah Shakiel! Just shut up! NRRRRRRRR" said Phil.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to Terran and Lia working on their terminals.

"Anything big on Saleon?" I asked.

"If there was we would've woken you up," Terran pointed out. "But, there was something."

"What do you mean?"

Lia took over. "Bjorn got us to run that piece of gum he retrieved for DNA,"

_I still don't know why he did that._

"We ran it in the C-Sec database and something came up."

"Yeah, Saleon."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"Saleon is just an alias," said Terran. "The guy's real name is Sig Stayley."

Every part of me halted except for the annoying thing in my head. Thinking back to...

"The nutball who kept that lovable pet of his underground," finished Terran.

"How the fuck is that possible? Terran, I saw him die. He was trapped in a room with a hungry tentacle trooper followed by being blown up with high explosives."

"Did you see him actually die?"

"Yes!"

He gave me a questioning look as I fumbled for evidence to support my claim. I didn't have any. "No," I sighed.

Terran went back to doing whatever on the terminal. _This is the last thing I need. Why can't this guy just take up gardening or something? _With my frustration mounting I looked at my Omni-tool's contact list, hovering over Ian's name. I couldn't tell the others now, not with Lia and Kasumi near by. Speaking of which that was another problem. Arranging a secret meeting without Kasumi getting in on it was going to be tricky. Really tricky. One thing was for sure though, I had to talk to Ian, in person. I exited the base and hit Call, leaning against the wall as it ringed away.

To my surprise he didn't pick up. _What? Did he hit Decline by accident? _Confused, I tried another time, waiting again when suddenly...

"What?" asked Ian in a rushed tone.

"Ian, it's Lucas. I was wondering if we could talk..."

"Lucas this is really not a good time, I'll call you back."

"Wait! What's going on?"

"You know that Saleon guy I was talking about?"

"Yeah, why?"

"We went over to his place and found the entire building deserted. He took some of his employees and is holding them hostage."

_Shit, just like in the..._

"Rebecca too."

_Wait, what!_

"Rebecca Simmons?"

"Of course Rebecca fucking Simmons! I call you later!"

"Wait, wait, Ian!" He hung up, and I couldn't blame him.

I rushed back into the base to see everyone surrounding Terran and Lia.

"Lucas, you got to see this, the C-Sec..."

"Let me guess, their comms are going batshit."

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I just had a talk with Ian. Saleon is holding his employees hostage, as well as Rebecca."

"His girlfriend? How?"

"I don't know and I don't fucking care, either way we're going." I already had half my suit on. "Not to sound like a commanding asshole but we've got to go right now!" I turned to Terran and Lia while everyone suited up in record time. "Get a hold of Kat, let her know what's going on."

"On it."

* * *

><p>Paul gave the shuttle everything, going through traffic fast enough to escape a mushroom cloud. The interior was a sea of loading weapons and active communicators.<p>

"How much longer until we're there?" I asked Paul.

"Just a bit, should be coming up any second now. Oh son of a bitch!"

Suddenly the shuttle banked hard right before leveling out.

"What was that?"

"C-Sec's got the entire place surrounded with vehicles and snipers. Unless you want to take the chance that they're in a good mood, we can't get in close."

"Why don't they just shoot the fucker if they're surrounding the place with snipers?" Shakiel asked.

"C-Sec only issues Mantis and Viper rifles, both can be deflected by shields if they're powerful enough." _I'm sure Pallin is regretting decreasing the weapons budget. Cheap bastard. _

"Trojan," said Shea. "Is there anyway we can flank Saleon and the cops?"

"One second," replied Terran. "The guy's clever. The only thing behind him is the space port, unless you feel like trying to fire from the shuttle, it's a no go."

"You wouldn't be able to keep it steady enough would you?" I knowingly asked Paul.

"Only if you didn't have to be precise. I'm a pilot, not a magician."

I slammed my fist on the wall, pissed that even after resigning we were still finding our selves having to deal with C-Sec's bullshit. If they left us alone we could just sneak in and put a bullet through Saleon's head. The thought of it led to my next choice of words. I looked at Paul. "Drop me off at the nearest rooftop outside of C-Sec's radius."

Paul flew the shuttle up before hovering over a flat roof. "What are you gonna do?"

"Hopefully nothing and this all fixes itself. If not, I don't know, I'll have to think of something." I opened the shuttle's door. "Ded, get on one of the other rooftops. We need as many angels as possible."

"Agreed." Replied Shea.

I jumped off.

The second I landed the shuttle departed. I walked to the edge, pushing aside my fear of heights and laid prone. Reaching for my sniper and placing it as close to the edge as I could without it falling off the roof, setting down the Bipod and cranking the loader before peering through the scope. I roughly aimed at Saleon's location and began to zoom in on the target, giving me a clear view of him holding Rebecca with a gun at her head. Along with six other people on the ship tied up with explosives. _You sick fuck. _

"Alcatraz, I'm at a rooftop west of you, setting up now," Shea announced.

"Good. Someone get Kat on the comm chat."

I kept my eyes on Saleon before I heard a beep on my Omni-tool.

"Tex, where are you?" I asked.

"I'm on the ground. I was already at Tayseri Ward, figured I'd be quicker on foot. I can get a closer view, I just need to find a rooftop that isn't taken by the feds."

_Feds? I guess she really is learning from us. _"Can you find a rooftop east of my location? Ded's got the west covered."

"I'll see what I can do."

Our chatter became surprisingly quiet, especially compared to C-Sec. Most of it was the same, officers requesting permission that would get denied by their superiors. Until I heard...

"Command, I've got a large shuttle class vehicle moving at high speed in Tayseri Ward and evading custody, requesting back up."

"Oh my God!" Paul shouted. "Don't they have a fucking hostage rescue to worry about!"

I was praying that C-Sec would do something. My heart beats were uneven just from hearing all this. I started to see some commotion just outside a crowd surrounding the cops.

"C-Sec!" A familiar voice yelled. "Move aside!"

_Ian._

I saw him pushing aside a random Turian with Garrus right on his tail. He flashed his badge at one of the officers holding the perimeter.

"Bring us up to speed," Garrus snapped at the cop. "What do we need to know?"

The officer told him everything we knew, except for one thing.

"Why hasn't he gone onto his ship yet?" Garrus asked what I was thinking. "What's he waiting for?"

"He said he was waiting for one officer to show up. A Detective Carmichael or something,"

_Are you serious?_ Ian moved past the officer as soon as he said "Carmichael". Garrus followed him all the way to the scene, where Ian entered with his pistol out.

"Rebecca! I'm here!" he yelled.

"Ian!" Saleon shouted, scorn dripping from the fake joy in his voice. "So glad you could join us!"

"Are you alright Rebecca?"

"I'm fine!" she called back, even if it was a lie. "Shoot him, Ian, he's cra…

Saleon shut her up by jamming the gun against her head.

"Tex, how close are you!" I asked.

"I only just found a building now. It'll be a bit before I'm at the top."

_Damn it. _"Ded, do you have a clean view?" My voice became more anxious.

"No. That son of a bitch is blocking my view with Rebecca's head."

My anger resulted in a growl. My breathing quickened too.

"You're in no position to be making demands!" Saleon shot back at something the Brit said. "I only waited for you, Ian, because I wanted to show what I've accomplished." He gestured with his free arm at the scene around them. "I've won, Ian! You, with all your talk of bringing me down, turning down my generous officer, and here we are. I didn't want it to end like this, really. If you'd just said yes to me before, this would never have happened, would it?"

_He really does love his own voice doesn't he? Then again he did the same thing to me._

"You'll never win!" Ian screamed back. "This isn't over!"

"I beg to differ," the doctor snarled. "That's exactly what this is. Over."

"Tex!" I yelled.

"I'm still on the stairs!"

_Oh fuck it! _"I'm taking the shot."

"Alcatraz, no! I'm only..."

I muted the comm chatter, focusing on my snipers sight's, this time with my gun's reticule in mind. I slowed my breathing even as my heart beat was skyrocketing. I zoomed in at the right level, just as I recalled something. I was hundreds of yards away. I looked away to boot up my Omni-tool and start a program designed for long shots. It measured everything, height, wind speed, temperature, humidity, etc. I never would've thought it'd come handy when Chellick gave it to me.

My eyes switched between the scope and program, constantly adjusting. There was no such thing as bullet drop but I still had to account the distance. My right arm was also shaking too much, I held it in place with my left so I could fire.

"I've got one more thing before I leave though," Saleon shouted at Ian. "Your girlfriend was buying something for you when I found her, and I thought you'd want to see it before she left."

He tossed the small box to him. Ian opened it's contents.

I knew those kinds of boxes were only used to carry one kind of object.

"Isn't that beautiful," Saleon mocked.

_You're fucking dead. _I held my breath, and pulled the trigger.

*BANG*

The crowed jumped from my shot, and so did my target.

_No._

He moved with Rebecca, wincing as the shot went past. He put his pistol against her head.

"So be it!"

"Rebecca!"

"Ian!"

*BANG*

**Now Playing : The Antlers - Kettering**


	28. Chapter 28 : Extreme Ways

**Authors Note : This is the first chapter I've put out that my mother didn't proof read, so if it's so much worse then before, that's why. Special thanks to Empeorie for reading it over before hand though, you are awesome!**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 28 : Extreme Ways**

**December 19th, 2182**

**10:43 PM, Citadel Time**

**Zakera Ward Space Port**

**(Ian)**

*BANG!*

I jumped at the sound of the unannounced shot, as did the sick bastard holding my love. The whine of the round rushed by Saleon and flew out into the vastness of space. I didn't know who fired the shot but whoever did, had failed. Saleon forced his pistol against Rebecca's temple with determination set in his eyes.

"So be it!"

Rebecca looked at me, pleading with her eyes. "Ian!"

I moved forward, getting closer to my target's head, cross hairs lined up. "Rebecca!"

*BANG!*

There was no slow motion like in the movies. All I saw when I heard that shot was Rebecca crashing into the ground, as did Saleon, with a hole in his head. The comm chatter was a hailstorm of confusion but I didn't care. I was already running toward who I cared about.

"Ian!" said Rebecca, getting on her knees, still in shock.

I spoke with actions as I picking her up to her feet in an unbreakable embrace. Our heads were on each others shoulders, holding on while she dampened my shirt with her weeping tears, her shoulder was being heated by my pants.

"It's okay," I said, calming her in tandem with my breathing.

Fellow officers were all around us. Sending teams over to evacuate the rest of the hostages and look for the shooters.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I dismantled the bi-pod and stood on my own two feet, backing away from the edge before my acrophobia kicked in. My eyes drifted to a certain Turian in the distance, looking back at me behind a window with her fingers pointing to right ear. I holstered the sniper and unmuted the comm chat on my Omni-tool.

"Thanks." I said, guilt obvious in my voice.

"Just doing my job," Kat replied.

I was surprised by her lack of anger at my failed attempt at going rogue. I sighed in relief and looked back at the center of attention, seeing the Brit and Nurse escorted to an emergency van. I couldn't help but smile at the outcome.

"Wash," I said over the comm. "You still got the five-o on you?"

"Nope," Paul said in an cocky tone. "Shook 'em off while you were off the chat. I'll come pick you guys up."

* * *

><p>Even if we knew Rebecca and the hostages were okay, we still made sure to check up on her at the station, without any of our gear of course. When we arrived she was already complaining about other people at the medbay doing her job. If she was having any sort of PTSD she wouldn't show it. Apart from some bruises and red eyes, she looked and acted like herself.<p>

Ian and Garrus had put the shock behind them too. The Turian had been verbally jabbing his partner while the Brit protectively sat next to his girlfriend. Just before I was about to ask Ian about our "talk", Executor Pallin came through the door. Giving me a quick look before stopping in front of us.

"Rebecca," he said with sympathy. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Sir. In fact I'd like to get back to duty tomorrow."

"That's not going to happen,"

"But Sir..."

"No buts! You're going to take at least a weeks leave, and that includes passing your psych eval."

Rebecca sighed but her face said that she knew this was coming. "Yes, Sir."

"Good. Now I came to tell you two," looking at Garrus and Ian. "that all of the other hostages came out safely. Dr. Saleon..."

_AKA Sig Stayley_

"And all of his businesses will be no more. Both of you did good."

"Do we know who the shooter was?" Ian asked. "You know, the one who fired at Saleon."

"We're still trying to get proof, but it definitely wasn't one of ours. We may have some people near the area to confirm where the shots came from specifically."

"The sooner he's found the better. I'd personally shake the guy's hand, give him a medal."

The irony wasn't lost on me. With that Pallin gave a nod and one last look at me before leaving. What was his problem? I helped save his daughter twice, at least he could have said "Thank you". I shook my head and listened to more conversation go by, I didn't want to kill the mood and waited until finally Ian and Rebecca were just about to head out. That was when I asked.

"Ian, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh, sure," He said, surprised but compliant. "Just a sec, babe." He said to Rebecca before following me.

I walked to a corner of the medbay with the fellow dimension traveler. "You know how I asked about that talk when you were chasing Saleon?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was wondering if we could arrange that later."

Now he was getting curious. "Does it have to be today? I mean, I kind of want to spend time home, away from work. After what's happened those shitty dramas she watches suddenly sound like a vacation."

"I know, I know but, this is big. If it wasn't I wouldn't ask."

Ian shifted on his feet, deciding silently. I could see that he saw I wasn't fucking around. Meanwhile I suddenly had a second thought, that maybe this wasn't such a good idea anyway. But, it was too little too late.

"Okay, do you want to meet up some place?"

"Yeah," I already had a location planned out. "You know that spot where Pallin told me about his daughter?"

"Sure," he said, very slowly. "What time?"

"Eight o'clock, and make sure no one follows you." The last thing I needed was Pallin or anybody else finding out about this.

He gave me a look after the last comment but soon followed it up with a nod. "Alright, I'll see you then."

"See you later," I waited just until he opened the exit. "Limey."

"Yanky."

"Hey! As a canuck I take offense to that!"

He shook his head with a smile as he left. I did too but the smile was quickly replaced with a sigh and uncertainty. Hours later back at my apartment I gathered my equipment in a case and headed for the nearest cab. Looking around to make sure nobody was following me one last time before stepping inside.

* * *

><p>The place was exactly how I remembered it. No windows, a few empty crates here and there and some blue lighting that kept the place just short from being pitch black. I turned off some of them and left the only illuminating lights being nearest to the door. The idea for a badass entrance only came in my head due to Ian keeping his trademark of being unfashionably late.<p>

Thankfully, I started to hear sounds of the old doors opening, revealing the blonde Brit with his eyebrows raised. The shadows were still hiding me.

"Lucas?" He called out.

_Here goes nothing. _I hopped off the crate I had been sitting on and slowly walked toward the light. Ian's hand hovered over his pistol when he heard the sound of my footsteps. I always wanted to be the person making the sound between a click and clunk in a dark area. Ian kept his face steady as I stepped into view, the light reflecting off of my armor. The area was muted until...

"What are you doing here?" Ian asked, cautiously.

"Oh come on, Ian, do I really have to spell it out for you?" I said, gesturing with my arms. Part of him knew what was going on, but he was still waiting for complete conformation. I shook my head and lifted my arms to the helmet. Giving one audible click before revealing my face, hoping I didn't have case of helmet hair.

Ian's shock kept him silence until he gave a snort. "It was you this whole time."

The smirk I had was my reply.

"What about the money spikes?" He asked.

"There was seven of us when we started. We knew what it would look like if we spent our cash in one blow so we had the cost split between all of us, and we made sure never to buy too much from one place."

"What about your vehicle?"

"What about it?" I shrugged. "It looks like any other shuttle, well, when the guns and armor plates are folded away."

"And your hideout?"

"You know that apartment next to mine in the hallway?"

He thought about it before realizing what I meant, I couldn't help but start snicker at his expression.

"No way," he said. "Don't fuck with me on this!"

"Does it look like I'm fucking with you?" I jabbed.

Ian shook his head but with a small smile. The chuckles died down before resuming back to the awkward silence from earlier.

"That was why you got pissed at me wasn't it?" he finally asked, but with knowing tone. "After your arrest?"

I nodded. "I had to make sure you didn't follow me." I sighed. "I don't like lying or having to be an asshole but...you know. What scares me is that I seem to be good at it."

Ian didn't nod in understanding but it was the eyes that gave it away. He knew what it was like.

"Not as good as some though." I said, looking directly at him.

Ian shuffled on his feet and briefly looked away with a curious look, like I was crazy. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was there when you went to Saleon's building, Ian. We waiting for him when we had to hide because you showed up, not that I can fault you for that, you didn't know about us. That was uh, some quick thinking when the Dr. showed up. Especially with the fake name."

Much like Rebecca from earlier, what ever emotions he had were hidden.

I crossed my arms. "Where did you get it?"

"Get what?"

"The name, you had to get it from somewhere. Unless it was just pure random."

He shrugged. "Just an old human show I've seen."

I chuckled. "It must've been old, I'm pretty sure NBC doesn't exist anymore."

Now it was Ian's turn to furrow his eyes, he was going through the same process as he had when I stepped in sight.

"I know what you are, Ian. You're not actually from here. You're from 21st century Earth, where all of this was just some pixels on a screen. Like me." I knew that it was coming but I was starting to get tired of the long strings of silence. My eyes kept darting away and back at Ian while he stood like a TV on standby.

"The others too?" he suddenly asked.

The guy was shocked but he was also thinking everything through, putting the pieces together. I nodded at his question. Knowing now that this was the "big" topic, Ian walked over to the nearest crate and sat down, letting his feet rest

"Fuck me." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. "All this time, I thought I was the only one."

I walked up to sit next to him. "Life's full of surprises."

He snorted. "That's one way of putting it."

I nodded in understanding. "I know, it's like saying Hitler was a prick. It doesn't really hammer the point home."

More time for contemplation went by until Ian asked. "So how did you get here?"

I thought about how everyday that went by and after each day I've accepted it more and more. I never was one to brood on things. "My friends and I were about to watch a movie after playing some games, and when I went to go get some drinks I saw this weird box on the dinner table. I don't know why but I opened it and next thing I knew I was knocked out, along with my friends and we woke up at the factory district." I sighed, I didn't feel like telling the long version of the story. "All I know about who put us here is that he doesn't give a shit about us, and doesn't have a diabolical plan."

"How do you know?"

"Because he has the power to do so much worse then drop us here, and he's never done anything since then." I shook my head and turned to Ian. "What about you?"

He briefly looked away before taking a deep breath. "I was sitting at my house when out of boredom I started saying 'Bloody Mary" into a mirror," he stopped when he saw my raised eyebrow. "It was because of a friend, don't judge,"

"Too late,"

He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, after I said it, nothing happened for a moment when suddenly I was taken by an Asari. Just like you I woke up to find myself here, except on my own."

I shook my head with a snort. "Shit man," I was terrified when I first arrived here but at least I had the luxury of not being the only one. Ian wasn't that fortunate. I decided to shift the topic. "So you know about everything then. The Reapers, Saren, Shepard, Collectors?"

"All except the actual war," he said.

_Damn, he's just as blind as me. _

"Speaking of which, 2183's close by. You planning to go with Shepard?"

This was something I had thought less about. My mind was more set on surviving and having a good life instead of going over what happens with Shepard. "I don't know, maybe," I replied honestly. "I mean, I may have some training and combat experience but, going with Shepard means actual war, and I'm no soldier."

"No, you just dress up like a spartan because your a fanboy."

I tried to put on my menacing look but it only made him more smug.

"What? Now I know why you're wearing that thing."

"You mean to tell me that you wouldn't customize your armor if you weren't restricted by C-Sec?" I smirked.

"I didn't say that,"

"I know. Look I'm just not sure. I may know what's supposed to happen but that doesn't mean that's what will happen. Hell there's already enough changes Saren could possibly bring back the Reapers with a magical robot spider."

"Isn't that basically what sovereign is?"

I gave him a pointed look.

He held his hands up. "I'm just saying," I could see that he was just trying to not have the conversation be a mopefest, he rested his hands on the crate. "I understand where you're coming from. I'm not sure if I should go through with it either if I'm honest. Like you said, just because we know what might be next that doesn't make us invincible."

I saw him look down at the ring Rebecca got him. Not hard to imagine that would put a different perspective on things. "Does she know?" I asked.

He looked at me and shook his head. "No. I don't want to put her in danger." There was another pause, his fingers twirled faster and he breathed in before sighing. "The Asari that brought me here is somehow watching my every move, and on top of dragging me here she also gave me some Prothean visions in my head."

_What the hell? _"Like the beacon on Prime?"

He nodded. "I've managed to deal with it but I still get nightmares all the time, and occasionally a random spike when I'm awake."

"I'm guessing Garrus doesn't know either then?"

Another shook answered my question.

"I don't know about you but I would seriously consider telling her."

"I just don't want to drag her into this, I mean." He sighed, burring his head down with his hands at the back. "Then again Saleon got onto her." He looked at me. "So Shakiel's not from here too?"

I nodded.

"Then that means, two of your crew are from here."

"Three."

"What do you mean...oh right, Lia. Almost forgot. Do they know?"

"No, but I'm not sure how much longer I can take it. I'd like to think I could trust someone like Kasumi to keep a secret..."

"Wait," Ian stopped me with one finger raised. "Electra is Kasumi?"

"Yeah,"

"Damn. I had my suspicions but I dismissed it. Just like I dismissed a guy with Spartan armor."

Yet again I furrowed my eyebrows. "So you thought Alca...me, before you knew it was me," _God this is weird! _"Was wearing armor you recognized from somewhere else by complete luck?"

"It wasn't as crazy as thinking it's an nineteen year old dimension traveler, or an actual Spartan."

_Touche._

"So...what's she like?"

I shrugged. "Exactly like she was. Quirky, funny, always cheerful, and kind of creepy sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes she goes out to shop so we can resupply - by shop I of course me steal - but one time she gave me a pack of toothpaste that was exactly what I used before right down to the flavor and brand."

"...That is kind of creepy." Ian said with increasing concern.

"Tell me about it." I looked away briefly and came back with a slight grin. "Hey, you know how Josh suddenly didn't have a crush on your girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, I don't think he liked Josh until he was no longer after Rebecca.

I raised my eyebrows twice, he looked confused until...

"Get out,"

"You should see them, they don't make any attempt to be subtle." I snickered.

Ian got a chuckle and a smile before remembering how off track we got. "I just don't know yet," looking at the ring.

"If I can find out about it, Ian, she can. She lives with you for Christ sake, and if she finds out about before you tell her, it's going to..."

"I know, I know, I don't even want to think about if she finds out first." He exhaled. "At least I can decide." He turned to me, opening his mouth to speak when I stopped him.

"Don't thank me, Ian."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I fired the first shot."

The eyebrow lowered into a furrow in tandem with the other.

I swallowed. "If you thank anyone, it should be Kat."

Now the eyebrow back up. "Pallin's daughter?"

I nodded.

"She's the Turian on your team?"

"Mhmm,"

He looked away, laughing and smiling before he turned to me. "If Pallin finds out..."

"Don't," I replied firmly with my eyes closed. "Just don't."

He kept the smirk but with a more understanding expression. Ian and I could've talked until the next week, but I had only so long until the non dimension travelers would start to wonder where I was. I put my helmet back on and hopped off the crate. "Well, I shouldn't keep you too long. Especially after what happened earlier."

Ian nodded. "Thanks for telling me. You've got balls for doing that, I could've had you arrested."

"I'm not sure your girlfriend would appreciate that," I quipped, opening the door into the empty alleyway. "See you around."

While walking out I couldn't help but loudly sigh in relief. Being able to talk about my secret without worries of others felt so amazing, like when Dexter said he was a serial killer. A quiet chuckle escaped my lips. _All that's next is a nice cider and a...wait, why is the shuttle here? _I didn't tell Paul to come here. With in a blink of an eye, three shadows revealed themselves. A Human, Turian and Quarian, all female. _Oh shit._

Kasumi crossed her arms. "You are going to tell us, everything."

* * *

><p>With the rest of the team finding out about what I was doing, how Ian was like us, how Lia, Kasumi and Kat found out and how we now had to explain everything that happened in the past two years as well as what happened in the Mass Effect games, the term "Culture Shock" ceased to be adequate. But there was no turning back. So we told them everything. Saren, the Reapers, Shepard, Shepard's death, Cerberus, Collectors, you name it. Not that it was easy for the three people who didn't have the misfortune of being transported here without a choice. Lia said nothing the whole time, Kat was getting angrier – more so at the events than us – and Kasumi seemed to be the only one keeping her cool.<p>

I rubbed my hands over my head after Phil and I had explained it all. By then it was past midnight. "So, when are you going to put us in an insane asylum?" I asked. "Because we're obviously fucking crazy." Gesturing to the others with both arms.

Kasumi looked between the two woman next her and looked at us. "It's undoubtedly insane, but crazy people don't have stories that long, and certainly not that detailed."

I guess mentioning that a man she spotted called Keiji was supposed to be her "Partner" that got killed later on due to stealing top secret Alliance files, kind of gave her some perspective.

"You don't know what happens when the war starts though?" Kat knowingly asked.

I nodded. Of course the mystery man had to take us away before the third game came out. "All we know is that it's definitely going to happen. Not that you'd be able to convince the Council that."

"Because they're a bunch of dumbasses." Phil muttered.

"Ditto," I looked up at Kasumi, with a new idea in my head. "How much do you know about Shepard?"

She looked at me like I had I shoe on my head. "What?"

"H-how much do you know about Shepard,"

"Why would I know anything about Shepard?"

"Well, it's just that...you said...you were a...never mind, forget I asked."

"Okay," Kasumi chuckled. "So we're going to join this Commander then?"

_Oh great, I already had this fucking conversation back with Ian. _I sighed."I don't know, perhaps..."

"We're going," Kat still had a thing for getting peoples attention, even though her job was exactly not to do that.

"Huh?"

"We're going with Shepard," the Turian said firmly.

I liked to think that she was getting more tame - not in a bad way - overtime, moving away from her military background. So why was she suddenly so determined to join Shepard now? "Kat, it's not that simple. Knowing what might happen next doesn't matter much when the person you're facing against is a Spectre, controls an army of Geth and has a self aware ship that helps destroy all organic life every fifty thousand years."

"That very Spectre is the same one that ruined my life." Kat's voice laced with venom, as was her body language. "I planned on stopping whatever he had planned next, and now that you're saying he plans on destroying the galaxy, my goal is more predominate than ever."

The only sound in the room was the rustling of couches, everyone was looking at her the same way I did, except for Phil. His was worse. Kat took a deep breath, realizing what she sparked in peoples heads.

"Saren was the one who framed you?" Phil said, more so in disbelief than actual wonder.

Kat, reluctant to talk about what happened to her after dealing with it not too long ago, just nodded at his rhetorical question.

I wasn't sure how stable Kat would be in a position of actually fighting Saren, or if Shepard would put up with someone who's business was personal. I wanted to think about this for longer but the scout was putting us on the spot, and I don't think any of us wanted to find out what it would be like to be clawed to death, or her going rogue. That meant only one answer.

"Okay, we'll go with Shepard."

Kat showed a sign of relief for only the slightest of seconds, immediately replaced by her stone cold face that read like a blank piece of paper. She got up on her feet and started to walk to the armory side, stopping next to me.

"And when we get Saren, I want to see that fuckers head on a platter."

A small smile crept up on my lips. "I won't be one to stop you." Holding my hands up.

She replied with a real devious looking her eye. She probably dreamed about killing him, over and over. I looked back to see Lia standing up and slowly walking to the base's door. Terran instinctively caught up to her.

"Hey," he said, reaching to touch her shoulder when she pulled away.

"Terran, not this time, please." Her voice was almost cracking.

"Lia," my friend pleaded as she continued back to their apartment.

In a state of being wired tired I got up like everyone else and walked to the windows. Overlooking the amazing city heights, wondering what it would be like to leave this place and travel the galaxy.

_I hope Shepard has a high tolerance for shenanigans._

* * *

><p><strong>Christmas Day<strong>

*RING RING*

I sat on the rooftop, waiting as my Omni-tool was still waiting for a pick up.

*RING RING*

*RING RI*

"Executor Pallin."

I smiled. "Sir, Executor, sir! Hey I was just calling up to ask about something. Why is C-Sec is still after us even though we stopped one of the biggest criminals on the station as well as save all of the hostages _and_ save one of your employees." I swear, I could talk all day with the voice modifier I had going. _Maybe I should fuck with some super markets and tell them that I'll blow them sky high if they don't give me free Pepsi._

"Alcatraz." The Executor said in a low tone.

"Yes, your archenemy is right here!" In my cheery over the top voice. "Now as much as I would like to stay and chat, I do kind of want you to answer my question...like now!"

I could hear small growl on the other side, turning my smile into a grin.

"I owe you an apology."

_Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What! _

"If you hadn't taken care of Saleon, he would've taken Rebecca along with all of the other hostages." He sighed. "I still don't agree with your methods but...what's the term you humans use? Credit where credit is do?"

"Yahtzee! Someone's on a hot streak." I could practically hear Pallin's confusion, and it was awesome! "Well with that out of the way, thank you and see ya later..."

"Don't you dare hang up on me, Lucas."

I don't think it was possible for me to repeat "Whoa!" enough times in my head.

"I know it's you. I have for quite sometime."

I stared at him in the distance. Deciding to keep my over the top delivery. "If you think I'm stupid enough to comment on that while you're likely recording this call, ha ha ha, you've got another thing coming."

"I may be the Executor of C-Sec, Lucas, but that doesn't make me immune to prosecutions. And I'm sure illegally searching for information wouldn't win over the judges."

It was impossible for my eyebrows to furrow more. _I guess he's not recording this then._

"While I may not agree with the way you do things, I accept them. Because I know that you and your friends will know what's best. There is one thing though. If I find out that my daughter is hurt because of you, then you can be expect me and the entire force at the front of your doorstep." He hissed.

My hairs were standing as straight as cadets. _Damn him for that voice! _I paused for a while, leaning on the edge of the rooftop's railing until I collected myself and grinned. _Must resist! Must resist! Oh Goddamn it!_ "Get some rest Pallin, you look tired."

Right as I hanged up we could see Pallin turning around in his chair to look out his window in the distance. Too late to see us before we were descending down the building's lift.

Ian was chuckling. "You had too?"

"Don't judge me!"

"Too late."

I pointed my finger at him. "You would've done the same thing had you been the one making the call."

Rebecca looked at the two of us like we were crazy, not the first time in the past few days if I'm honest.

"Don't ask," said Ian. "It's just about some films, well, old films for you I guess. Ones we'll have to see sometime soon..."

Then it was my turn to look at him like he was crazy. "What about the beginning of Supremacy?"

His eyes darted to Rebecca and turned back forward with a realizing look. "On second thought, maybe not."

Rebecca just shook her head. "What have I gotten myself into?"

**Now Playing : Moby - Extreme Ways (Bourne's Ultimatum)**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Finally! I can put this chapter behind me. This is where I would talk about what the next bunch of chapters will be about but that would ruin the surprise, right? So until then, see you next time! PEACE.<strong>

**P.S. I hope that this new cover will actually stay this time, how is it?**


	29. Chapter 29 : The Wonders Of You

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 29 : The Wonders Of You**

**January 27th, 2183**

**9:40 AM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

Even after more than a month passed by, I was still basking in relief from the events. Now that everyone in the squad knew the big secret, I didn't have to hide anything, I could just be me. It was great to know too that Pallin wasn't going to throw us in the slammer. That didn't mean we no longer have to deal with C-Sec's tomfoolery, but it was definitely a plus. We didn't have to worry about Ian inadvertently chasing me around the city. Though his knowledge of my identity made for some awkward conversations. Like the time he brought out recordings of me calling him a "Stupid fucking limey" as I chased that ponce from Charon. Thankfully his girlfriend came to the rescue and said I didn't have anything to worry about since she's called him much worse things, probably while she had him tied up to a bed.

How do I know this? Well, there's an source of gossip called, Garrus Vakarian. Apparently Ian came to work one day and had to get an extra pair of cuffs because he "forgot" his. Funny really because our conversation that day happened to slip to a similar topic while the me and the rest of the bunch were playing some video games. Don't ask how.

"But couldn't someone misinterpret the idea of having sex while blindfolded?" I said, picking up the only sniper on the map for the sixth time.

"As if you would know." Josh retorted, camping on the other side of the map with a shotgun.

"No, I mean think about it. What you're basically saying is 'Yeah, I'll fuck you, but I'm going to have to cover up my eyes'."

The rest of the group snickered, except for Josh and Kasumi who exchanged awkward glances, noticed by the group who laughed uproariously.

"Haven't you guys ever heard of "Kiss and don't tell"?" Terran asked.

"No, because unlike you, we're complete douche bags." I replied, shooting Josh across the map with my sniper.

"Lucas!" he exclaimed. "Will you use another weapon just one time! That's all I'm asking!"

Right after his outburst the game ended with Bjorn getting the final kill cam, his dual pistols firing so fast it nearly lagged the game. We were about to start up another thanks to the lack of loading screens in these futuristic games when suddenly Shakiel's Omni-tool rang.

He hit answer. "Hello?"

"Shakiel?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah, who's this?"

"This is Serena T'Las."

He looked at me with disbelief before he stood up to get more privacy. When the call ended we talked, and came up with a plan.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

After getting the green light from the group I made my way over and stepped inside. The cafe was owned by an Asari, therefore it was blue, very blue. Thankfully there were some greens and purples to mix it up, the most prominent of the latter being the person I was looking for. She sat up from her table and waved me over. I couldn't help but smile, she looked exactly like she had back on Omega. People used to confuse her for Councilor Tevos sometimes but her purple skin was darker and she looked a bit younger, not that it was easy to tell with Asari.

"Shakiel," she said with what I could swear was relief, grabbing me into a hug which I returned.

"It's been too long, Serena." I said as we pulled back.

"That it has," she gestured to the seat next to me and sat at the other end of the table. She was about to speak when a waiter came over for orders. We both asked for a cup of coffee and the waiter went to prepare them. Serena then turned to me."So, what have you been up to?"

_Scavenging, arena fights, meeting friends, training for combat, shooting bad guys and dropping the trash. _I shrugged and tried to put on my best acting skills. "Not much. Just drifting from one area to another really."

She looked dubious. "Those are some pretty nice clothes for a drifter."

_Shit. _I hadn't thought it through. "Well, that's what you get for going up to the presidium. You wouldn't believe the amount of stuff those rich bastards waste."

She briefly tilted her head. "It is a nice change of pace from Omega. At least here I don't have to deal with the smell of burning Vorcha."

I smiled but my eyes didn't hide my remembrance of the horrid stench. Those old photos of New York streets covered by trash and newspapers? Omega was like that except with blood and bodies. Thankfully the waiter came over with our

cups of java. I thanked her and took a sip, wincing as it nearly burnt my tongue. Serena didn't seem bothered by it and almost chugged the damn stuff.

"So what about you?" I asked, trying to pass the time. "I mean, it's been nearly a year since those guys attacked us," I shook my head at my choice of words. "You."

She took another gulp of coffee and looked fascinated by the table before looking at me. "That's the thing. Those people are here,"

I nearly dropped my cup at her words. "What?" I exclaimed as quietly as possible, with my head darting around the cafe.

"On the Citadel, I mean," she replied, calming me down. "I was able to get away from them but during so I found out what they were up to next." She leaned in across the table, lowering her voice. "Most of them started a group here, as in a gang, and I need you to help me stop them before they expand."

I raised an eyebrow, and leaned in myself. "If memory serves correct, you didn't have much confidence in my combat abilities."

"That's not what this is about, Shakiel, and I figured that since you're still here, you must have learned something. Especially after the time with me."

I wanted to help her, tell her who I was a part of, but at the time I had to maintain my cover. "There must be someone else you can get who's better then me, Serena, I mean, yeah I can handle myself but th..."

"Shakiel get down."

"What?"

"I said, get down!" She shoved me to the ground with biotics in her right hand and put up a barrier with her left.

Right then the glass next to our table shattered from a gun shot halted by Serena's biotics. The whole cafe erupted in a panic of people running and diving away from their tables. By second nature I placed my back against the wall and pulled out my pistol from its holster.

"Rook, you all right?" Lucas asked over the comm chat.

"Yeah, I'm fine, what the fuck is going on!" I yelled, panting heavily. Serena was taking cover a few feet away from me, she glanced at me with a suspicious look.

"Someone tried to fire at you, or your girlfriend. But I'm about to get him just about...now."

*BANG*

I looked out to see squirt of blood on the other side of a window in the building next to us, it was blue, Turian.

"Come on out, get out in case any more show up." Lucas said.

I looked to Serena, "Come on!" I ran over to the cafe's door while she followed. We stepped out to see the shuttle right in front of us, Phil in his suit waving. We ran over and hopped on, followed by him shutting the door and the vehicle lifting off. Lucas was on the other side holstering his sniper. Serena stopped moving in disbelief.

"Alcatraz?" She looked at Lucas dressed in his red and white gear. Before he could say anything she turned to Phil. "Pipboy?" With her head in mind field of questions she looked at me. "What the hell's going on around here?"

I looked at her with disbelief of my own. "I could ask you the same thing! This is the first time I've seen you in ten months and already you're getting shot at!"

She sighed. "They must've gotten onto me faster then I thought, and this is why I need your help, even if I didn't have much confidence for your combat abilities in the past. Now are you going to tell me why we're in a shuttle with The Wild Bunch?"

"Because I'm part of The Wild Bun..."

"Shakiel!"

I looked at Lucas, who even with a helmet on still had an expression of "What the fuck?". I turned to Paul behind the wheel and Phil sitting down, they had the same look. I dipped my head down and collapsed on one of the seats. "Shit."

"Moron," Phil uttered, just loud enough for me to hear.

I covered my face with both hands and sighed, taking a deep breath before setting them away again. "Serena, after I arrived on the Citadel I ran into The Wild Bunch to find out they included some people I used to know from high school and they let me join there group. I trained at the deviant arena until I was good enough to run around with them stopping bad guys and taking names like those vids you've watched." I looked at her as her eyes and facial expressions were completely blank. The movement of the shuttle was the only noise when Serena suddenly burst out laughing. Taking a seat on the other side of the shuttle, hearing an audible bang when she threw her head back from laughing.

I joined in with Lucas, Paul and Phil in the "What the fuck?" expression. The Asari calmed down, not before slapping her knee and looking at me with a smile. Which quickly dispersed when she saw I wasn't laughing.

"You serious?"

_Why did I like her again?_

**Now Playing : Andy Hunter - The Wonders Of You**


	30. Chapter 30 : Graven Image

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 30 : Graven Image**

**January 27th, 2183**

**1:00 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

After what happened, Shakiel suddenly seemed thankful for the plan we came up. Though, I didn't appreciate him giving away our big secret right away and in turn, forcing us to explain everything to Serena. Except the big big secret. Serena's hysteria from earlier however, revealed that she wasn't what we were expecting. Turned out that by "Mentor", Shakiel also meant "Person that saved my ass more times than I could count". Not that it was his fault. On the Citadel, there were ways to train people gradually. On Omega, that didn't really exist. I would give an analogy but with me being a nerd I can only come up with ones that would make any non tech savvy person call me a sad bastard.

"So," I said, crossing my arms, eyes on Serena. She spent the last couple moments explaining what was going on. About being chased by a gang that she briefly got away from. Apparently they relocated to the Citadel to restart and grow. "Do you know where this group is?"

Serena shook her head. "No, or even when they formed. All I know is that they started a group here called _The Plague_. They're looking for something, but one of the people that chased me before has left the group."

"Which one?" Shakiel asked. He was clearly eager to find these people.

"Vaellin Cratz."

Shakiel's eyes revealed he knew the name though I wasn't sure how. "The Turian?"

Serena nodded.

"I'm guessing we're missing something?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Serena leaned forward. "Apparently he decided that - unlike the others - he wanted to relax on the Citadel instead of causing more havoc."

"So he's the nice guy of the group?" said Phil.

"If your criteria for 'nice guy' is murder, trafficking and prostitution then yeah, he's the nice guy."

_Why couldn't these guys stamp collect instead? I'm sure those fucking things would be worth something nowadays. _"I'm guessing then you know where this guy is if he isn't hiding with the gang?"

She brightened. "That I do. He runs a strip club at the outer end of Zakera called 'Hustlers'."

Terran spun around in his chair, already searching for the location.

"Why does every club here sound like it was named by a teenager behind a screen?" Paul asked.

"Probably because they are." replied Phil.

I stood up. "Alright then, once we've got enough intel on the place we'll head out. Hopefully things won't have to get too crazy when we show up." I turned to Serena. "You said they're looking for something right?"

She nodded. "I don't know what it is but whatever it might be, they're probably going to go for it sooner rather than later."

"Exactly. I'm going to see if we can get a search going and find out what that 'something' is." I hit the hologram for the door, about to step in the hallway.

"How are you going to do that?"

"I've got friends in places." I smirked and shut the door. Afterward I opened the contact list on my Omni-tool and hit "Call" when I crossed the name of a certain Brit.

"Hello?" Ian said on the other end.

"Hey, it's me, are you busy?"

"Busy with paper work due to nothing coming our way since Saleon." He still spat anytime he said the name, understandably so.

The mention of paper work reminded me of one of the perks of not being a cop. "So doing a favor for me wouldn't be much worse then?"

"Depends. What's the favor?"

"Have you ever heard of a group called _The_ _Plague_?"

The pause lead me to imagin the detective furrowing his brows. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Why?"

"I've got reason to believe that they're looking for something. Preferably something that certain people would be willing to trade a lot of cake for. How do you know about them?"

I heard clanks of datapads over the mic.

"We heard about them from some undercovers in the gangs, but more recently there was a bloody murder that took place earlier today. It's safe to say it was _The Plague_ but investigators are still trying to get a positive I.D. on the victim."

"Why are they doing that? Can't they just look at his face?"

"He didn't have one."

_Oh...Well that's a reason. _

"Lucas, if whatever you're doing involves these guys you have to be careful. They make assholes like Saleon look like the second coming. Every scene involving them is a mess. The body they found was a stump, no arms, legs or head. Just watch yourself out there, okay?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Got it. Can you keep an eye on that case and let me know when they've got an I.D? Who ever they killed might lead to what they're searching for."

"Sure thing. See you later mate."

* * *

><p><strong>(Terran)<strong>

I turned the sound down as my terminal blasted a tune with enough bass to sink San Francisco. Finding the location and layout of the club was easy enough with the place having a very simple layout. Just a few back doors and a front that the group were probably going to use. So that meant due to the people surrounding me, my terminal was then displaying the front page of the Club/Sex shop's website.

I rolled my eyes as I felt breathing over my shoulders. "Guys,"

Josh and Phil leaned away instantly and settled back down in their seats. "Sorry," they muttered.

Phil pointed with his finger to a window on the screen. "What's that?"

"I don't know, looks like a..." I clicked on the window, transferring us to a demonstration. "Ohhhh! That is nasty!" I said, not being able to help but wince and leave the page. Surprisingly, the others looked disgusted too.

"And illegal in Council space." Kasumi interjected, making me jump.

I turned to Josh with an annoyed look when she was back at the armory. "Could you tell her to stop doing that?"

"Dude, I can't do anything about it. I haven't had my wallet secure for more than twenty minutes in a month."

I chuckled. "Look who's whipped now."

"Hey, at least I can actually se..."

"Okay, okay," Phil interrupted. "How about you two don't start that fight and keep looking at the porn?"

I sighed, looking at porn was better than getting into a row with Josh. Without any input from the others I clicked another window that piqued my curiosity. Once again the page played a demonstration. As soon as it played we all pushed into the back of our seats making "Ahhhhhh" sounds. It was one of those things where you should look away, yet you didn't. Instead we were all tilting our heads while the rest of the bunch were wondering what the hell we were going on about.

"How can anyone be flexible enough for that position?" I observed in disbelief.

"I don't know but you should try that with you're girlfriend," replied Josh. "In fact, I think I'll buy this for you right now." He reached over for the mouse until I shoved his hand away with a pissed off look, making him chuckle.

I heard footsteps. The familiar stomping revealed it was Lucas checking to see what was wrong with us. Then he saw what was on the screen, making him tilt his head in awe like the rest of us. "Jesus, how the hell do you that?"

"I know right?" said Phil. "It's not even possible."

Suddenly Kat leaned in and just as quickly turned away in boredom. "Oh it's possible." She said nonchalantly.

We spun around, wide eyes staring at her.

She rolled her's when she glanced back at us. "Can we get going now?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

Three of the four clowns got up to get their equipment while Terran closed the website and set about looking busy. I had everything ready except my helmet. Not wanting to play boring ass games on the Omni-tool I looked around and spotted Serena by the armory. Looking like a kid in a candy shop, going through the dozens of weapons at our disposal.

With a smile I walked up next to her, setting down my hands against the table. "Well you certainly seem happy after being shot at in a cafe,"

She smiled but remained silent as she went over a pistol in front of her.

"And being chased by an evil gang. And finding out I'm part of a vigilante group. And..."

She gestured with her arms. "Okay, I get it. Trust me, I know better than anyone how insane the past few hours have been, and that's saying a lot seeing as how crazy things were back on that asteroid."

My mind instantly went on a nostalgia trip of what happened back on Omega. Yeah, the place was a piss-hole but there still were some good times. However, Serenea always seemed to enjoy the ones I hated most.

She chuckled to herself, clearly on the same trip as me. "You remember that time at afterlife when..."

"Yes, and I don't ever feel like recalling it."

"Oh come on, it was fun."

"What fun is there in being your hostage with a gun to my head?"

"Plenty."

"For you."

"That's still fun isn't it?"

Sighing, I turned around to rest the back of my hip on the table. "You're a bad person, you know that?"

"Not bad enough for you to try and find someone else to follow around." She smirked.

"We were on Omega."

"Touche."

Finally she quit switching weapons on the table and took a pistol and SMG, holstering them on her legs. She never wore armor, instead opting for a light body hugging suit which gave her more agility. Like all Asari she was a biotic, so she used barriers instead of shields. I looked to see what weapons she was using but it quickly turned into an excuse to look below her waist. After all, I never complained about her tight suit.

Suddenly she glanced at me and looked at my eyes directly. I turned away in a flash, unable to stop blushing. My mind raced for a topic as I knew I was caught. "So, what are you going to do after we stomp this group?"

She didn't give an instant response and stared at the wall before looking at me. "I honestly don't know. Never thought that far ahead. Why?"

"Well, I'm just thinking that...maybe you could join us after word, in the Bunch."

She smiled and shook her head. "Shakiel, I'd love to but, I've already had my fair share of adventures."

"Don't tell me you're just going to take up desk work for the rest of your life."

"No, of course not. But my 100th birthday is coming up and I'd like to spend it taking a break from this line of work. Maybe after a year or two I can join then."

_Except the Reapers would be here by then. _"Yeah, maybe. If we're still around."

She put on her best encouraging look and stepped closer. "I'm sure you will. You and your friends seem to work great together." Gesturing to the rest of the bunch as they were finishing up their equipment.

I nodded and looked at the bright side. Serena liked to mess around but she wasn't reckless. If she truly was who she appeared to be, I wouldn't have stuck with her all those months on Aria's rock, and I certainly wouldn't have developed feelings for her. I couldn't help but remember the conversation I had with Lucas when I got here. About how I couldn't admit what she meant because I was too afraid of what she would think.

The unpleasant memories caused me to ask the next question. "You want to go out after this is finished?"

Caught by surprise, she looked at me with a curious and slightly disbelieving look. "What, like a date?"

_Shit! Shit! Fuck! Why did I say that! WHY! _I swallowed a nervous gulp, trying to not blush again. "Uh, well. I, I, wouldn't say date but you know, like a get-together. Catch up on old times, all that." _Really? _I felt like throwing my head against a wall for not even being able to speak properly.

Painfully, Serena was silent, still looking at me with the expression. Until it suddenly changed into a smile. "I'd like that."

_asdfadsfsadfasdfdsafdsafsdas df - What! _

"We can go find a place. Preferably one that's all night, just in case we don't finish this until later today."

Now I was the one in disbelief, stuck in shock until I realized how long I had been silent. "Uh, y, yeah, sounds good."

She kept smiling, even as she walked away until she finally started looking where she was going. I kept staring as I swear her hips were swaying on purpose. Suddenly I felt a hand slap me on the back, making me almost stumble forward.

"Come on lover boy, let's get going." Lucas chuckled.

* * *

><p>The trip to the club was one of the few cases where I already had my helmet on before landing. Mostly to cover up the grin on my face, coupled with glances to Serena. To cover up her identity she put on one of the old recon hoods the bunch used before I joined, at least until we met with the club's manager. This made everyone else equip their helmets and masks as the shuttle gently descended to the ground. The door opened and Paul cut the engines, joining us outside. Passersby were already starting to move as they noticed us piling up near the club. Leaving every place you've been to in a pile of rubble in uniform does that. With everyone ready but keeping their weapons holstered, Lucas, Bjorn and Paul took point, eagerly heading to the front door. Though I suspected it had nothing to do with going to a strip club.<p>

"So, are we going for a hardcore entrance or a 'We-don't-give-a-shit' entrance?" asked Lucas, turning to the two next to him.

"Are you really asking that question?" Paul replied.

"Good point. Alright, on three. One, two, three!"

"Huzzah!"

They raised a foot and kicked the doors in. Lucas' however, stopped short with a loud bang, followed by a thud, revealing a fat human male clenching his head on the floor.

"What the fuck!" He shouted, gaining the attention of club patrons. "What kind of piece of shit enters..." He stopped when he turned to see the infamous Alcatraz standing in front of him. "Ah, Al, Alcatraz, I, I didn't mean to..."

"Shut up!" Lucas shouted, making the victim of his tomfoolery shutter.

_Oh great, here we go. _I could tell Lucas was already having too much fun.

"And get your fat ass out of my way!"

The guy actually looked hurt. "You, you think I'm fat?"

"Yeah, and a pervert like the rest of these fuckers," Gesturing to the audience of all races. "Now get out of here."

The man was still in shock. After a moment, Phil stood next to him.

"Didn't you hear him! Get the fuck out of here!"

_Phil should really change his alias from Pipboy to the Screaming Screamer that Screams._

Finally the guy scrambled to his feet and ran outside. The absence of Lucas' victim didn't stop dancers and customers from halting their duties and staring at us.

Lucas sighed. "We don't care you about you folks, okay? We just want to know where the manager..."

"What is going on here!" A Turian shouted, stepping out of an office in the corner of the club.

"Never mind, found him!" Lucas yelled back to the audience as if they gave a damn.

Serena leaned next to me and whispered. "Are you guys always like this on missions?"

"Pretty much." I shrugged.

I could tell she was still as confused as a redneck with an iPad, but she accepted the answer. Deciding to shift her attention to the manager, who I could tell she recognized in a flash. Mr. Cratz stood in front of us, clearly not as intimidated as the fatty. From what I understood, the guy didn't seem intimidated by much. I never met him face to face until now, but I heard about him from Serena during our escape.

"Aren't you supposed to be blowing stuff up or whatever?" The manager asked, annoyed to say the least.

"Not a fan I presume?" said Paul.

"Not when known vigilantes come into my club. It's bad for business."

"So are these," Shea said, holding up one of the grenades from his suit.

The manager sighed and gestured us toward his office. I took time to view the club as we made our way over to the bosses corner. The place had customers of all races but no human dancers to speak of, catching me off guard. Employees consisted of Asari, Turian and even Drells, but mostly Asari. The customers were sipping alcohol as the dancers did their thing, with patrons being fascinated by big round orbs in the case of the Asari.

"What is it with Humans and breasts?" Kat asked aloud, confused as she noticed the number of humans looking at the blue beauty's.

"We spend the first years of our lives sucking on them, can't blame us for being interested." Phil shrugged.

"I'm glad you said Humans instead of men," Lucas added.

This confused Kat more. "Why?" she asked.

"Because we aren't the ones making surgeons filthy rich from breast implants."

Who the hell went to a strip club at one o'clock in the afternoon was what I was wondering. Cratz meanwhile ignored our banter and opened his office door open for us to enter, Serena closed it with her being the last to step inside. Cratz sat down and annoyingly sighed for the second time.

"Now what is it that you wan..."

He shut up the second Serena stepped in front of us and removed her hood, looking at him without the mask to hide her piercing eyes.

"Serena. You're supposed to be..."

Her entire upper body glowed in biotics as she forced him into the wall, smashing the chair in pieces behind him. "Dead?"

The maiden slowly walked up to him until she had her hand wrapped around the Turian's neck. Cratz tried to throw her off with his arms and legs but those were quickly halted with her casting more biotics.

"Where are they?" asked Serena.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cratz replied, struggling to speak.

Serena slammed the back of his head into the wall. "Don't waste my time Cratz, where are they?"

"I haven't seen them since we thought you were dead! Why do you think I'm running a club instead of running around with them for fuck's sake!"

Serena placed her other hand on his right mandible and pulled, causing an audible tear. I winced as Cratz screamed in pain.

"That's one broken, want to make it two?"

"Alright! Alright!" he yelled, coughing from his chock hold and pain. "Open my terminal's email."

I walked up to it and opened up the email program. Cratz told me the username to look for, I scrolled through the list until finding and opening it. The letter kept whoever sent it anonymous, but it was clearly one of the members who was now in The Plague. I highlighted the address it contained at the end and sent it to everyone in the room.

"Now, can you let me go?" Cratz said, still in poor shape, his mandible was leaking blood.

Serena leaned toward him but didn't say anything. Just had a look of anger while Cratz seemed to almost start looking smug. He opened his mouth to speak when she suddenly moved her arm from his neck and forced her biotics to his right arm, violently twisting it in the wrong direction at light speed. Giving a loud crack and had the Turian screaming in even more pain. Finally she let him go and fall to the floor, knees first before planting his face on the floor, withering.

Serena wasn't the kind of person to do this to anyone, but then Cratz wasn't just anyone. Even with my friend's brutality, I didn't feel any compassion for the guy. In fact, I wanted to kick his face in. But I didn't want to sink that low. One of us had already gone down that path. That someone was looking at Cratz on the floor with his arms crossed.

"Should we call the wambulance?" he asked everybody. It was silent until everybody echoed, "Nah" and made for the door.

I followed with Serena who shot one last glare at the manager before leaving. "You okay?" I asked.

She breathed heavily before putting back on her recon hood. "Yes, I'm fine."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

We stepped outside to see the entire area completely devoid of people, leaving us a clear path to the shuttle. I was still waiting for the day when someone would try and steal it. I opened the door about to step in when my Omni-tool rang. I held it up while staying outside to gesture to the others before walking to a quiet sector and answered.

"Yeah?"

"Lucas, it's Ian. The investigators of that murder just I.D.'d the victim. We may have a problem."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"The victim's name is Keiji Okuda."

If we were communicating back in the twenty first century, I would've dropped the phone in shock. "What!"

"That's what I almost said in the morgue. I mean, I wasn't expecting him to turn up dead now, especially since you guys took down Hock."

I shut my eyes and sighed. The Plague needed something that would get them cash quickly, preferably some sort of weapon, and what weapon is more powerful than the truth? "The only reason anyone would want him dead is for that greybox." I still didn't expect him to take it so soon. Then again, it wasn't much weirder than me being transported here in the first place.

"Have you found where The Plague is hiding?" asked Ian.

I nodded. "Yeah, some shit hole in Bachjeri Ward."

"Alright, I'll be sure to get suppo..."

"No, Ian! You won't."

"Lucas, if you don't get that box back we're fucked! You're gonna need support to get into that place. These guys aren't your standard piss for brains mercs."

I sighed, wanting to rub my eyes. "Look, the instant we need support I'll call you, but as it is for now, we need to keep this under wraps. Alright?"

He was hesitant, the silence confirmed that. After a few moments though, he echoed my sigh. "Alright. But promise me you call the instant you need help, okay mate?"

"I promise. See ya."

"Stay safe."

*Disconnected*

**Now Playing : Zack Hemsey - Graven Image**


	31. Chapter 31 : Fallout

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 31 : Fallout**

**January 27, 2183**

**7:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Lucas)**

Turned out that the information given to us by our friend from the strip club wasn't bullshit. After doing some digging we found that the location for The Plague's hideout was a massive complex in the 900 blocks, looking like a stadium. This was the shit hole centre of Zakera Ward, meaning that it'd be mostly devoid of civilians. Regardless, we decided to drop in at night and sneak into the complex. Keeping an element of surprise is difficult when people can see your shuttle in broad daylight. Though I decided to keep Ian's news to myself, I couldn't take the chance of Serena finding out about our other big secret.

Speaking of which, during the past day she and Shak had been inseparable. Not that they would ever admit it. I was anything but an expert on couples and I usually don't give a damn but they looked like they were both holding their feelings back. I didn't know how or why, but I had seen people who were "just friends" and those two didn't resemble it.

It might have been romantic if it wasn't for the fact that they and everyone else were getting ready for the big game. ZING!

* * *

><p>I was standing over Paul's seat, looking out the shuttle's window as the city declined in quality the farther we went. "How much longer until we're there?"<p>

Paul shrugged. "Pretty soon, only a couple more minutes. As soon as we get near I'll fly lower and drop you guys off near the HQ."

"Never can be too careful," I said before moving back to take my seat, still thinking about what Ian had told me, about the enemy we were facing. Keiji was literally cut down to a stump. I know it sounds pathetic to find excuses for killing but at least we made it quick, and only attacked when provoked. If people were to surrender immediately, I wouldn't fire a bullet.

These people were different though. They liked killing. They liked to see a life slowly drain out. Maybe if Kasumi had caught up to Keiji a couple months back, none of this would've happened. Maybe with Hock dead, he would've actually lived, Kasumi would've been happy too. I banged my head against the wall, trying to not think about it. If I knew anything, it was that dwelling on the 'what if's' was pointless. All we could do now was stop these sons of...

"What the fuck!"

The shuttle violently shook and turned in tandem with the explosion. I could feel the vehicle quickly descending as I grabbed a hold of a handle near my seat.

"What just happened!" yelled Serena.

"Something hit us! I don't know how but we're going down!"

"How quickly!" Shakiel shouted.

"Let's put it this way, brace for impact!"

_Oh shi..._

The vehicle made a deafening noise as it crashed into the ground. Paul didn't have enough time to slow to an appropriate speed, causing the vehicle to flip over, end over end. I was still holding onto the handle but some of the others didn't have that luxury. The cabin was pulsing a purple glow though, leading me to believe Serena was using her biotics, hopefully to help those without support. As suddenly as it started the shuttle came to a halt in a midst of smoke, debris and gargantuan amounts of swearing.

I let go of the handle only to realize the vehicle was upside down. My curse was cut short as my back landed on the roof, except as far as I knew, roofs weren't supposed to move.

"Get *pant* the fuck *pant* off of me!" Shea hissed.

He threw me off before I could move and pushed me near an opening where one of the doors used to be, still coughing my lungs out. I crawled out of the wreckage and made sure all of my bones were in check. My body came out unscathed but there were plenty of knocks, dents and scraped paint on my armour. I could feel bruises all around. "Are you guys okay!" I yelled.

"We had a crash! That doesn't make us fucking deaf!" Shakiel yelled, not sounding too bad.

"What!"

"Shut up Phil!" Josh replied.

Kasumi was the next to get out. Her hood was gone and parts of her suit were ripped.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Don't worry it's superficial, I'm fine. Just want to get away from the noise."

_Good idea. _I could hear some kind of hiccup sound, it was near the cockpit.

"Paul! If you barf near me like you did in Seattle, I will fucking kung fu your ass!"

Bjorn, Shakiel and Serena were next, followed by Phil who was out of there like the shuttle was going to explode. Shakiel was holding onto Serena like she was about to pass out. She gestured and Shak gently sat her onto the ground while she slowed down her breathing. It was obvious she was being a biotic powerhouse while the shuttle was in free fall. Shakiel and Bjorn were fine with the worst mark being a tear on Bjorn's suit. Phil had a cut but he was already healing himself with medi-gel.

I turned down his offer. "Save it in case there's worse injuries."

I got up on my two sore ass legs and went inside to check on everyone else. I pulled Shea to his feet and helped him out. Josh followed him as did Kat who was helping Paul out. The latter didn't have his helmet on and was wiping his mouth with the back of his glove, making an okay sign with his hand. Everyone was alright but the shuttle sure as hell wasn't. It wasn't in flames but there was plenty of smoke and none of its systems were online. Not that it mattered as the thing was a total wreck, barely sharing any resemblance to what was up in the sky a moment ago.

"It's toast," Paul confirmed. "I tried starting it up and nothing came online."

"What the fuck even hit us?" I asked.

"An explosive of some kind obviously. I just don't know how they saw us. I was certain we weren't spotted."

I looked at our surroundings. "Where were we when we got hit?"

Paul sat down on the floor, wincing at his sore muscles. "Just outside The Plague's HQ. I would guess this is part of the area."

He was right. I didn't attend sports events but I had been inside stadiums. It looked like we were just outside the entrance, but it was in much worse shape than BC Place. Everything looked abandoned and laid to waste. By now Phil had checked on everyone and confirmed that we were alright. Serena was recovering from her biotic usage. I opened my mouth to ask her something when I heard voices in the distance. We all silently placed our backs against the wrecked shuttle, with Shakiel pulling Serena next to his spot.

"I guess shooting down our transportation wasn't enough." Josh remarked as he pulled out his pistol.

"They must be searching for survivors." I peeked around the corner and spotted two gnarly looking Batarians, along with two security mechs. I relayed the info and Josh, Bjorn and Shea lined up their sights with me. I had my sniper rifle aimed for one four-eyed bastard on the right when a thought hit me. "We should stay silent. They'll find out about us regardless but at least we'll have some extra time." Gesturing to Serena who was still out of it next to us.

"I can go," Kasumi volunteered.

"Me too," added Kat. The Turian noticed my questioning look as she didn't have any silenced weapons and rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I don't know other ways of taking enemies down silently?"

"Good point. Alright, Bjorn, Josh and Kasumi on Kat's mark."

The four nodded. The two woman snuck their way close to the troopers while Bjorn and Josh lined up their sights. Kasumi and Kat were in position and the former scout started to count down. Right as she said "Mark", the two security mechs received new holes and the Batarians were knocked out cold. It was easy. Too easy. Serena now had her back placed against the shuttle like the rest of us and was controlling her breathing.

"You okay?" Shakiel asked.

She nodded. "Just give me another minute."

"Do you recognize those two Batarians?" I asked.

The Asari peeked around the corner and shook her head. "No, they must have been recruited. We are in the poor part of Zakera, couldn't have been that hard to find people looking for pay."

I thought back to what Magna said when we took down his group, about not considering the people in our way. That maybe people entered this line of work because they didn't have a choice. After my intervention with a serial killer, I didn't believe that. We didn't want to be stuck with desk jobs either, that was why we joined C-Sec. Then again, being an ex-cop probably made my biased. Plus I didn't remember ever seeing a Batarian C-Sec officer on the galactic station. It was cold to think but we had to keep moving and be convinced that we were doing this for the right reasons.

"I bet The Plagues got way more people than those four. That was a cake walk." I said, getting back to the task at hand.

"I'll take point," Kat announced as Serena got to her feet and equipped her SMG. "Shea and Paul will be with me while the rest of you follow. Shak, you'll follow Serena at all times. Make sure we can keep our advantage of biotics."

Serena loaded her weapon and nodded. Kat ordered us to move and stepped in front with Shea and Paul, heading to the front entrance. "Serena, how many heads are there in this group?"

"It was five when they were chasing me on Omega. But since Cratz left, that leaves four."

"And plenty cannon fodder."

We checked the corners as we went inside the dump. It was easy to see how this place used to be, back when the 900 blocks weren't the Wild West with laser beams. But the memory was overshadowed by the awful stench and piles of garbage. Yet there was something else that this place reeked of. From the look of Serena and Shakiel, it was one they were familiar with. Red lights were flashing in my head at that point.

Fitting as Kat suddenly stopped and put her hand up, we all halted to see a tripwire on the ground. Most people used laser tripwires these days so I guessed The Plague was Old School. We remained silent, listening for anything out of the ordinary and came up with nothing. Kat was the first to step over the wire very slowly and wait for us. We all took our time. Ensuring one stupid mistake wouldn't send us straight to literal hell. Bjorn was the last to step over and we were back in the same formation. I didn't mind the silence on missions but it was making my blood boil in this case. What we knew of this group was that they were anything but silent. That was when we were approaching the origin of the awful stench. There was a wall to the left. It must have been an old corridor to the stadium's field but now it was covered in holes, nails and blood.

"What the shit is this?" Paul asked, taking in the sickening view.

"Prisoners," said Shea. "Or what they left behind. Probably trying to send a message."

"What kind of message?"

"Don't fuck with us," Phil suggested.

My eyebrows furrowed though when I noticed something. "Look at the pattern," I gestured. "See how they were lined up? They were executed."

"Shit," Shakiel breathed out.

"What's with the nails though?" asked Josh. "Did they just have a guy insert them into people's limbs before shooting them?"

"No," I shook my head. "The blood pattern doesn't match."

"So what the hell happened then?"

I heard a clink a few yards away from us. I knew I couldn't turn or dodge fast enough.

"Grenade!" Serena shouted, covering the path in a blue aura, deflecting dozens of objects encased with the device. My ears rang and the floor shook like an earthquake. Just as it ended I could see Serena's exhaustion catching up to her again, nearly stumbling over when her biotic field faded away.

"Contact!" Kat announced, taking cover behind one of the piles of debris.

I placed my back against a nearby pillar as I could see enemies approaching. They consisted of the two from before, Batarians and security mechs, but this time Vorcha were in the mix. One of the them spotted my position and took a couple shots. I crouched down to avoid fire. Feeling the whoosh of rounds go by me, my adrenaline spiked every time one of the rounds hit the pillar I was behind. The sound and force was somehow alien. I looked to see a small object covered in grey with a pointed end.

_What the shit! Guns that shoot nails! Are you fucking kidding me!_

"At least now we know how they were executed," Josh remarked over the comm, relaying my thoughts.

"Lucas!" said Kat. "Take out those mechs in the distance!"

I peeked around and focused on the skeletons of metal and equipped my sniper rifle. With the Vorcha now taking fire from the others, I zoomed in, lined up my first target and pulled the trigger. The force of my rifle's shot flung the chunk of metal to the floor as I lined up and took out the next two mechs. I ejected my thermal clip. "Enemies down, Kat."

"Nice work, we've only got two lef..."

The final hostiles suddenly flew up over their cover screaming, missing a leg or two.

"Now that's how you use a grenade!" Shea called out.

"Everyone meet up!"

Kat was already heading for the path to the stadium's field. I knew she had the same idea as me, we needed to get this done quickly. Soon enough we were all running next to each other.

"C-Sec's going to be on their way," I said. "That roof may keep our identities safe from cameras but they're going to get inside soon."

"Are you sure they're here?" Shakiel asked Serena.

"They have to be."

The Asari's positive attitude was good but it was contradicting the mood of the stadium floor. It made the front entrance look like a childrens book. I could feel chills down my spine as we saw all of the things covering the area, chains, nails, spikes and guns. All covered in a trademark mix of not quite dried blue, orange and red blood. I was always resistant to human reactions - crying, vomiting, gagging - but even I threw up a little in my mouth.

"Jesus fucking Chri..."

The lights suddenly flashed on, a Krogan, Vorcha and two Turians stood in front of us, loaded to the brim with all of the disgusting things that made this place, including the organic colouring. They had the psycho look in their eyes as they leveled their weapons at us.

"I think we found them."

"Move!"

I didn't question who said it and just did as we were told. We spread out in different directions, searching for cover as blood lightly splashed onto my suit. I spotted more debris and crouched down behind it. I stayed in place as the whole stadium was a cacophony of gun shots. It was quite amazing, in the same way that jumping off Dubai's tallest building would be amazing.

"We've got more grunts!" Josh called out.

I looked over my cover to confirm the sightings of more Batarians and Vorcha. Josh had taken cover behind some crates just ahead of me. I pulled out my battle rifle and looked down the scope.

"Stay down!"

Josh complied as I fired three-shot bursts at two four-eyed bastards ahead, they both went down with ease. Josh stood to get behind my cover but ducked back down again when a line of flames suddenly went over him.

"Holy shit!" he yelled.

I fired the last few shots from the rifle and ejected the thermal clip. It hit the ground in tandem with the Vorcha carrying a flame thrower. Josh got up again and was only a few yards away from me.

"You've got one of the leaders coming toward you Lucas!" shouted Serena.

A wall of cover next to Josh was crushed by the Krogan. I was able to get a decent look at him and noticed he had a suit of armour like I had never seen. _One that's about to get a lot of new holes._ I cranked my reloaded rifle and let it rip as Josh let loose with his shotgun. However, the Krogan kept going. I knew they were tough but our shots weren't even staggering him. Right as my clip went empty I leaped to the left, avoiding the Krogan's charge that was like a wrecking ball on steroids.

I landed on the hard floor grunting. I lifted a hand to clean my helmets visor when my eyes set sight on the Vorcha's flamethrower.

"Josh!"

My buddy was already back on his feet. He saw where I was pointing and must have had the same idea since he sprinted toward the weapon. I got up on my feet when I was suddenly picked up by two hands bigger than my head. _Oh shit! _The roaring creature threw me into the crates. Many of the boxes went wild from my crash while I slid across the ground. "Fuck!"

I felt my body rumble and turned to see the Krogan standing over me, his weapon's barrel pointed at my head. He pulled the trigger, but missed for suddenly he was on fire. Josh's weapon was spewing flames as much as the Krogan was spewing curses. The rock of a man was screaming as he cooked. Josh stop until the Krogan fell to his knees before becoming a stump on the ground. Josh threw the weapon down and helped up me up. I made my way toward the beast without a word, removed the Krogan's helmet and yanked away Josh's shotgun. Before he could say anything I cocked it and fired at the corpses head. Twice.

"You can never be took careful." I said, giving back my friend's weapon, panting. Right as I did I heard a sound that didn't belong. Sirens. "Oh, fuck me."

"Cops," Josh relayed.

"Guys, report!" I said over the comm.

"We're taking a fucking beating over here!" shouted Phil.

I could hear the echo of his voice coming from the other side. I didn't know what sport this stadium was for but it definitely wasn't hockey. This placed trounced any rink.

"We're on our way! Just wait up!"

The two of us sprinted around cover, hopping over dead bodies that must have been in our groups way. I wondered which leaders they were facing off against. The answer came as I stopped to see our group taking fire from all three remaining leaders and their footmen. One of said footmen was going batshit with a stationary turret. I aimed my battle rifle and killed two enemies. Taking their attention away from the main group and on me.

"We took down the Krogan! We just have to take down these three!" I explained.

"You make it sound so fucking easy!" replied Paul.

"Kasumi," said Kat. "Can you flank them?"

The thief's pause suggested it wouldn't be easy. "I can but I'm going to need support as soon as that main gun is down."

Shea and Phil took down a couple more troops moving toward us. The leaders didn't take this well, commanding troops to stay back as they retreated. They were heading up the stands where I saw an old control centre. I knew they weren't retreating just because we took out a few men, they had to be going for the greybox.

"Josh!" I called out. "You go with her. We need to get those three heads before they make an escape!"

"Got it! Let's go!"

Something clicked in my head when I saw Serena pull an enemy with her biotics, said enemy was quickly ripped to shreds from gunfire.

"Serena! Make a singularity when they're distracted!"

"You've got it," She replied.

We needed to speed this up. We were taking down enemies but there were still too many for us to move forward. We waited and waited for Kasumi and Josh to appear when suddenly I heard the latter yell.

"Now!"

I whipped out of cover and immediately opened fire on three of the sorry bastards. The rest of the team unloaded round after round. Some of the enemies were making a run for it but got caught in Serena's ball of doom. Tangos were reduced to a pulp in their trapped state. I reloaded my weapon as we ran out of cover, making our way up the narrow stairs next to worn out seats.

"Everyone ready!"

"Ready!"

There were five of us on each of the staircases leading to the control centre. I let Bjorn take point with his shotgun as my rifles weren't the best for close quarters. We reached both of the entrances to find they were old-fashioned doors.

"Bjorn and Josh can bust both of them open with a shot gun breach," I said. "There should be three of them but keep an eye out. On my mark." I loaded my rifle once more just to be sure. "Three, two, one, mark!"

Bjorn shot the handle and kicked the door open. Josh did the same on the other side and we rushed in to find the three of them turning around. The Vorcha was right in front of me and latched out with his talons. Sharp enough to cut through my suit and create three new scratches on my chest. I couldn't help but scream out from the pain but Bjorn stopped him with a shotgun blast. The Turians were farther back, bringing up their weapons to look down the sights. However, the two of them weren't a match for the legion of biotics and fire from us.

They went down valiantly but that didn't make them any less dead. I heard a clank and it wasn't from weapons hitting the ground. Ignoring my wound, I walked toward one of the fallen Turians to find what I thought hit the ground. The greybox. I holstered my weapon and picked it up. It may have looked like just a harmless box but I knew that this hunk of metal could start a war if it fell into the wrong hands.

"Hey, check this out." Shakiel said as he stood in front of a terminal.

"What is it?" asked Serena.

Kat took charge and entered a few commands on the machine to figure out what was going on. I could tell by her look that she had already put the pieces together. "They were trying to break into that greybox. Very rare, illegal and encrypted. There's plenty of people that would want to get their hands on one of those."

"It's a lot more than just an ordinary greybox." I tried to clue her in without giving myself away to Serena. The female Turian gave a look that said she got it. "They wouldn't have fought this hard if it wasn't."

Serena didn't seem to notice my clue despite how damn cheesy it sounded but it might have been because we could hear voices in the distance. Not loudly but just enough to make out that they weren't about to kindly escort us.

"Move!" The fact that some of us didn't have our helmets or masks on meant that we couldn't afford a single run in with C-Sec. We had to find a shuttle and get out of this horrid place.

And have a shower.

**Now Playing : Linkin Park - Fallout**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Well that was a real challenge. Hopefully the action was effective. I'm sorry about not getting this chapter out sooner but Halo 4's been pretty distracting. See you guys next time and as always, PEACE.<strong>


	32. Chapter 32 : The Catalyst

**Authors Note : Calm down. Casper the genocidal ghost doesn't make an appearance. It's just the song name at the end. Okay? Good. Now, let's get this started.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 32 : The Catalyst**

**January 27th, 2183**

**9:30 PM, Citadel Time**

**The Base, Zakera Ward**

**(Terran)**

I liked being a part of the team without getting shot at on a regular basis, but I hated waiting around when there was nothing to do. The stadium was abandoned and The Plague seemed to be stuck in the old way of doing things. Leaving me with nothing to hack and I couldn't go out with Lia incase my help was needed. Thankfully I was able to set my worry aside as I got a message from the group saying that they were all okay minus a few small injuries. I didn't bother asking about what they saw at the stadium as I was probably better off not knowing. We'd be able to discuss it after time had passed and we could laugh about all of the messed up things we got into.

The group was about to arrive at any minute when Lia sat next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?"

I nodded and gave a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just wish I could've done more is all."

She was briefly silent. "Can I tell you something?"

I looked at her.

"Look where you are now."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You said that you and your friends just arrived here with no real goal. Now you're stopping criminals C-Sec can't touch. I think if you really want to be on the ground with them you could."

I sighed. "That's very nice of you to say but I'm pretty sure my tall and lanky build would give me away." I gestured to myself.

"Didn't stop any of the others."

I opened my mouth to argue but stopped when I realized I didn't know why. She was right. I could; all I needed to do was set my sights on whatever was next. "Thanks," I said, looking at her directly. Her brightened eyes gave away that she was smiling behind her helmet.

Whatever romantic mood that was there flew out the window as the front opened to a orange shuttle that looked like it came straight out of the POS factory. The vehicle made some ear bleeding noises before roughly landing on the floor. The doors opened to reveal the team instead of hobo's on a joyride and they stepped inside the apartment. Lucas tossed his helmet toward a table before heading straight to the corner medbay.

"Don't ask," he said as he brushed pass me.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

_Fuck me that hurts! _My body armour was lying on the ground. I wrapped water proof bandages over my cuts filled with medi-gel, but that didn't stop the wounds from hurting like a bitch. They were definitely going to leave marks. Never thought I'd end up with scars on my chest. Writing didn't include damage to one's self...arguably. I wasn't the only one though. Phil's stash of medi-gel was going fast with people fixing up the scratches they got from the crash and following firefights. I grabbed a towel from one of the counters to dry off my damp hands and hair before tossing it.

We managed to escape the cops but it took a while to find an unused shuttle to hijack. We took the vehicle from a dealership that looked like it was barely getting by. It was closed but the security was hardly Fort Knox. Us being wet came from finding a hose and trying to get the blood stains off. My suit was still banged up but it certainly looked better when it wasn't a rainbow of colours collected from dead people.

"So," said Terran. "Is anybody going to tell me what's going on?"

Shea walked over and handed him the greybox. "We found what we were looking for. The Plague is now dead and that box has a bunch of stuff that we need you to hack for."

Terran raised an eyebrow at me to which I made a look telling him I knew about this. He nodded and went over to his terminal to plug the thing in.

"It's going to take some time to get through."

"How much?" asked Shea.

Terran shook his head with a sigh. "Normally something like this would take a day due to its encryption. I can cut it down but at best it's still going to take six to ten hours."

"So it won't be broken until tomorrow then?" I asked.

"Not in the realm of the possible."

_And that's why the possible sucks ass. _I stood and put on a simple over-shirt. Serena was scavenging for energy bars while Shakiel attended to some of his injuries next to me. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Nothing more than a few cuts and bruises."

Serena stood in front of him. "Is it okay if I clean up at your place?"

Shak held his hands up and smiled. "You don't need to ask."

The Asari returned his expression and went out the door, the smile never leaving Shak's face.

"Choose a place for your date?"

"It's not a date." he replied, annoyed.

"Hmm. Just keep telling yourself that."

Shakiel sighed, making me grin as I left to discard my suit and head back to the apartment to clean up. It had been a long night.

"So what are we going to do once we have the files opened and confirmed?" asked Kat, just as I was about to head out. It was clear she understood my earlier message perfectly.

"If it came from Keiji Okuda, they're supposed to contain top secret Alliance files. Maybe we can call them and just give some demands."

"Demands?"

"A new shuttle would be great!" Paul called out. "Preferably one with big guns and stuff!"

Kat and I looked at each other and shrugged. "A shuttle in exchange for a secret box seems like a bargain to me." I said before finally leaving.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

Serena stepped out of the bathroom in her cleaned up suit and self. "All yours."

I nodded my thanks, walked past and shut the door behind me. Removing my shirt revealed my cuts and bruises in the mirror. I practically didn't feel them at all anymore. I had gotten so many and had seen so much worse happen to others. The anticipation of spending time with Serena was also a good distraction from the pain. There was never a chance to just relax on Omega like there was now. The Plague was done.

No more chasing. No more death threats. No more getting showered in bullets. Just us. I couldn't stop thinking about my feelings for her. About my chance. Except there was the possibility it would move things too quickly. I only met her again that morning. Going from that to talking about full blown love would probably just drive her away. Plus, I doubted she felt the same way. We were just friends for a year. I sighed at the stress of it all. Being friends was a hell of a lot easier.

After cleaning up I turned off the overhead, dried off with a clean towel and wrapped it around my waist. I opened the door but stopped as I realized I nearly ran into somebody. It was Serena.

"Hey," I said, feeling exposed. "I was just about to get..." I drifted off, about to walk past her when she blocked my path. I tried again to the right but she blocked that too. Her eyes never left mine. "Serena, what are you..."

I stopped when she leaned forward and gently laid her lips on mine for a kiss. My eyes widened and she pulled away to see my dumbfound expression. She waited for a response and all she got was a static brick with a pulse. Then I pulled her in for a kiss of my own, one that she returned eagerly. I was thinking this was unreal, that this was all in my head. That time had skipped forward and my brain was on a high from having had a few too many at the bar.

And I didn't care.

We pulled away from the kiss and she used the opportunity to drag me over to the bed. She set me down and sat on top of me, my hands drifted to her back as our lips crushed to each others'. The towel loosened and there was no sign from either of us to correct it. My hands searched for her suit's zippers or straps. I found them but the suit was Asari made and had some alien up way of undoing them. Serena giggled at my attempts.

"Having trouble?" she said with a big grin between kisses.

I growled in frustration making her laugh before she pulled away and pushed my hands away from the zips. She let her hands do the trick and instantly the top half of her suit fell. If things kept going like they were I was going to die from lack of oxygen.

"Better?" she asked coyly.

"Much." I pulled her close again and felt my bare back hit the sheets as we lied down. Time became non-existent. In the space of skin on skin and passionate love it was anything but a concern. With the lights gone and the city in the distance, she pulled away and looked into my eyes.

"Embrace Eternity!"

* * *

><p>We both collapsed next to each other on the bed. Words weren't possible as our lungs collected breath. I ran my hand over my head to find it covered in sweat.<p>

"By the goddess." Serena breathed out between panting.

I swallowed as my breathing became less violent. "That was..." I drifted off, shaking my head while chuckling. "I think you've ruined humans for me."

"Aww, poor you." She grinned.

"I'm not complaining." _Anything but. _Everyone hears horror stories about the First Time but it didn't ring true with Serena. Then there was the mind melding that amplified everything further. I didn't have biotics but I knew that the way she used them wasn't in any training vids. Well...not the textbook ones.

She leaned on her side and snuggled next to me, moving her lips toward mine for another kiss. It wasn't adrenaline-fuelled but just as passionate. She pulled away. "Next time, we'll get dinner first," she said casually.

Our eyes locked once again. My expression faded from surprised when I thought about 'next time'. She did too and set her head over my shoulder with my arms around her. I closed my eyes with her breath on my neck. I didn't voice my love for her, but expressed it.

As did she.

* * *

><p>I must have woke early. The ward in view was still a sea of lights. Looking out the window revealed something out of the corner of my eye. Serena wasn't there. <em>No. No, no, no, no. That could not have been a fucking dream! No. Fucking. Way. <em>My eyes felt a lot less heavy when I started to scan the room. Her clothes were gone too. _No! It was far too real! _Then I realized the sheets were damp from sweat. As well as...

_Oh...no! _My cheeks were as red as tomatos. I practically jumped out of bed and put my shirt and jeans back on. _It's okay. She just went to the base. She woke up constantly back on Omega; she'll be there to check up on the greybox or something. _I made my way out of the apartment and entered the base find a big room of nobody. _What the fuck! _Knowing that Kat was probably sleeping I quietly stepped around the shuttle to look for Serena, and got nowhere.

I sighed and leaned over one of the armoury tables. My eyes drifted to the greybox on Terran's desk when I noticed a big problem. The box wasn't there. I didn't worry about making noise as I walked over and tapped the terminal's keyboard, the screen displayed a message on the screen.

_**Device has been disconnected.**_

* * *

><p>"I don't fucking believe this!" Kat rightfully exclaimed.<p>

Everyone gathered at the base as soon as I spread the word. Well, really it was more like Kat woke up from my noise and proceeded to wake everyone else. I didn't say a word, too much in mental shock to speak. My head felt like it was going to channel steam out of my ears. _Why? Why would she do this? Why in all that is holy would she steal the greybox? Was she just a fucking act! And what about what happened with us? Was there nothing more to it than 'Oh gee, thanks for the literally mind blowing sex, k bye'? I just...Ahhh!_

I sighed and buried my head into my palms. This was total garbage. No, no. Bullshit.

"So Shakiel's girlfriend shows up," started Paul. "Act's like our friend, takes the greybox and runs off like a little c..."

"Paul!" I yelled. "Enough."

"Well it's true isn't it?"

"We still don't know what's going on so I'd rather you don't call someone I care about a bitch."

"First of all," he held up a finger. "I was going to call her something worse than that. Two, what else could've happened?"

_I really fucking hate it when I know I'm wrong. _"I don't know," I said, giving up.

"You were the last to see her right? Did she say where she was going?"

I shook my head. "No, she didn't."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "So she just vanished on you when you got back from the date?"

I stared at the floor, trying to hide the embarrassment, betrayal and disbelief. "We didn't go out."

"Why?"

"Because she...the last time I saw her was at my place." _Cuddling beside me naked under the blankets. _Before I could respond Paul had a look of realization.

"You've got to be kidding me," He stood, shaking his head. "So, not only does she steal the greybox, but she uses you in the process."

"She didn't use me!" I snapped, rising up.

"Really? Cause that's what it looks like."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Says the guy who's been blinded 'cause he got fucked and fucked over at the same time."

"That wasn't what happ...

"Shut up!" shouted Lucas.

I realized my fist was clenched while standing in front of Paul. I took a deep breath and sat back down.

"Shakiel," said Lucas. "I'm not going to pretend to know what you're going through, but the greybox is gone and the only person that could've taken it is Serena. And until we find her you're going to stay here."

My head snapped back up at Lucas. "What!" I stood back up in front of him. "No, you can't expect me to just sit here and wait."

"I don't expect you to, but it's for the best."

"How the fuck do you figure that?"

"You're too close to this. You're going to be asking 'why would she do this?' instead of thinking about where she might be."

"Since when are you General Patton? Didn't you say The Wild Bunch doesn't have a leader?"

"I'm not the only one who thinks you should stay here."

"Oh really?" I said crossing my arms.

"Yes, really."

"Guys, are you really agreeing with..."

The whole crew gave me the look. Even Lia. I snorted and shook my head. "You know what? Fine. Just fucking leave me here."

If the door had been old fashioned I would've kicked or slammed it...or both. I walked back into my apartment and immediately regretted it. My eyes couldn't help but drift toward my room.

_Fuck Paul. Fuck whatever he thinks. She didn't use me. _I refused to believe it. The night wasn't a fling. It just wasn't. Nobody makes love like that and then just ditches you like it was nothing. I knew this didn't make me right but I stood by it. I couldn't bring myself not to. My thoughts nearly drowned out the Omni-tool ringing on my wrist. I hit the answer button at the last second and didn't even look to see who it was. I didn't care.

"Hello?"

"...It's me."

Until then.

"Serena," I breathed out in relief. "Where are you? What's going on?"

She paused. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that Shakiel." Her voice was filled with regret.

"Did you take the greybox?" I held my breath, waiting for the answer.

"I had to."

Her words knocked me down more than a bullet ever could. "Serena, come back, please."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, too close to the money to walk away now."

My disbelief kicked back in. "That's what this is about? Serena, shit storm is not even in the realm of what that box can do."

"I know." She sighed. "Listen, I need something. We can talk in the eight-hundred blocks okay?"

I looked at where the base would've been. Thinking about the others. This was personal, something I needed to take charge of.

"Where's the place?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

Terran got straight to tracking where Serena went. It was pointless though. She didn't leave a trace. I looked in the direction of Shakiel's apartment as I sipped some Earl Grey. It's hard to see your heroes fall and even harder when they're more than that. I didn't truly know what he was going through but I understood it, and understanding was horrible enough. Funny how over the course of our existence we team up with a high-school buddy, a master thief and a former military scout, and it's the young innocent Asari that double crosses us. I was still amazed. Serena was either a very good actress or she was forced into this. I didn't know which was worse.

"Lucas," said Terran, gesturing me toward his screen. I walked toward it to find a recording of a certain human leaving the building. "Shakiel just left."

I couldn't believe I was hoping he was planning to go to a bar to feel sorry for himself. It was better than the other possibility. "Why?"

Terran hit a couple keys and brought up what looked like call recordings. The dialogue from the other end displayed the name 'Serena'.

"She called and told him to meet her at a building in the eight-hundred blocks. I took the precaution and found the meeting place. It's an old office building, belonged to a company that's out of business. As a result it's pretty vacant."

"So it's a trap?"

"Of course it's a trap."

"Shit." I didn't know why she would call and risk being caught after escaping, but I wasn't complaining. "Alright, see if you can get a full sweep of the building, the rest of us will go follow him."

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

I stepped out of the cab as soon as it touched the ground. It flew off in the distance while I looked up at the abandoned building. After a good look I stepped inside the tower and spotted an elevator with its doors open. The vibe of the place gave me a bad feeling but I shook it off, stepped into the elevator and selected the second highest floor.

I didn't have a plan. Everything that had happened left me tainted. I had to just run with it and hope that my path didn't lead me to a cliff. The doors opened and I stepped into an empty office space. The floor's carpet had outlines of old cubicles that were here. At the far end, basked in a breathtaking light from the city matching her skin was Serena. I wanted to run across the room and hold her again. However, I found myself standing still, asking my self one thing.

"Why?"

She remained silent with what looked like guilt.

"Why show up now? Why help us take the greybox away and then steal it? Why..."

"I know you're upset, Shakiel..."

"Upset!" I echoed in disbelief.

"I didn't want it to come to this but I had to do it, Shakiel. I know you're not going to believe me but that's the truth."

I stepped closer. "Then why can't you tell me why you're doing this? What did you mean by 'too close to the money'?"

She looked conflicted. I wanted her to just tell me like she wanted to, but something was holding her back.

"I need your help," she said.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

We pulled up alongside the building. We didn't take the time to equip our suits. Deciding to just stick with bringing weapons and shields with us. Paul cut off the vehicles core and we jumped out.

"Alright," I said. "We'll spread out to cover as many floors as possible. Stay in contact on the radios."

"Way ahead of you," said Shea before rushing inside.

The elevator was on a different floor, Shakiel must have used it. We stayed in a group that depleted in numbers as the floors progressed until we were each on our own. I hated going solo but this was more important than my stupid feelings. I walked through the sixth floor and started the ball rolling.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

"Help with what?" I asked.

She activated her Omni-tool and gestured to me, I walked toward her and stopped about five feet away. She displayed a familiar screen, the opening for Terran's hacking program. She must have taken it along with the greybox. The thing had its own log-in process.

"What's the code?" she asked.

"Why?"

"Shakiel, please. I know you don't trust me right now but I need that code."

"So you can start a fucking war?"

"It's not like that."

"Are you sure? Because all I know right now is that you need to break into the greybox for money after betraying me. Aside from that, I don't know shit."

She opened her mouth to speak but there was a sudden noise coming from both sides of the room. I pulled my pistol out of its holster and turned around.

"This is taking too long," a flanged voice announced. A face appeared in front of me to reveal someone, Vaellian Cratz. He didn't have a weapon and walked toward me, hands behind his back.

"Put the weapon down, kid," he said nonchalantly.

"Why should I?"

He responded with the Turian equivalent of a smirk. "I just think it would be in your best interest."

I heard a click behind me and instantly knew what it was. I closed my eyes, dropped the weapon on the floor and turned around to see Serena pointing her gun at me.

"I'm sorry," she in low voice..

"Yeah, yeah, everybody is so fucking sorry!" said Cratz. He shook his head and moved a hand to his ear.

I could hear a faint voice on the other end indicating he wasn't alone. I couldn't translate what the other man was saying but Cratz looked at me and simply went, "Hmm. Let me know when the others start to get close."

Even though it was a bit dark I still got a good look at Cratz. The arm Serena broke had somehow healed, granted not completely. It was clear that he wasn't able to use it fully but still had relative control over it. There was also the mandible that had been torn which was in a similar shape as the arm, though a lot more hideous. He was one ugly motherfucker.

"It seems that your friends have already shown up. I'll give credit where credit is due, they are loyal. Even if they're here because of your stupidity."

"What do you want?" The last thing I needed was a bastard like Cratz being Dr. Phil.

"Short term memory huh? Let me remind you." He took my gun and aimed it at me. "What's the code?"

"Fuck you."

"Really? That's a bit vile don't ya' think?"

_Oh great. He's also a fucking comedian. Lucky me._

"You know what? I think we need some incentive here and I've got the perfect tool for the job. Maxon!"

A Salarian appeared, dragging someone along with him. The light from the windows revealed a face. Bjorn. I felt a new wave of anger hit me as Bjorn was held by the horned lizard with a gun to his head.

"Now!" said Cratz. "Tell me what the code is or I'm going to take him to my place for a little fun."

Bjorn remained silent, looking amazingly calm.

"Just tell them, Shakiel." Serena begged behind me.

I was getting sick of this crap. She was pointing a fucking gun at me. Did she really need to keep playing the caring friend?

"You're running out of time, kid! Tell me the code!"

Suddenly there was the sound of multiple footsteps and voices coming behind the door leading to the stairs. Voices I recognized.

Cratz shook his head like a disappointed leader. "Your choice smart guy."

Out of nowhere a swarm of armed men and women appeared in the space, all dressed in black with similar outfits to Cratz and were armed to the teeth, lying in wait for my friends. There was something else too, none of them were human.

The stair door opened with the rest of the bunch entering, only carrying weapons. They stopped as soon as they saw the firepower against them. They noticed me first, then turned to see Bjorn's state, trying to hide their fear but failed miserably. When Kat shows a slight expression when she has a gun, you know you're in deep shit.

"Ah finally!" said Cratz. "I'm so glad you guys could make it because now I get to leave on a high note."

"Who do you work for?" said Lucas, keeping his sights planted on Cratz's head. "What's this about?"

Cratz chuckled and smiled. "I don't work for people, Alcatraz. People work for me, me and my...business if you will. We're Beyond International. Something you'll find out very, very, soon."

Lucas scowled, looking to Bjorn before going back to Cratz. "We'll find you."

"Oh I'm sure you will. In time however, ha! Now that's a different story." He started to walk over to another stairway door on the other end of the room, he gestured to Serena and his men, both followed. Serena gave me one last remorseful look before turning away. I used to understand her completely, now she was a vessel of riddles. My friends took a step forward when suddenly Cratz looked at me.

"Oh, nearly forgot."

He whipped out his pistol and shot me in the leg. I screamed, felling unrivalled heat and pain as I collapsed to the ground.

"Got to end things on a high note right?" said Cratz as I withered in pain. "Catch you later!"

Everything stood still until the door shut, where Phil rushed over to help me with the gunshot. Everyone else scattered the room but it was a waste, they didn't leave anything behind.

"Went straight through, didn't contact any bone. You're lucky," Phil said.

"Sure as hell doesn't feel like it." I winced at the brief sting of medi-gel.

Our eyes drifted out to the windows where we watched two shuttles zoom off with the love of my life turned traitor, Bjorn and a device with untapped potential of destruction. Yet somehow I knew, no matter how bad things were now.

They were only going to get worse.

**Now Playing : Linkin Park - The Catalyst**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : As always, I apologise for taking so long to get this out. This chapter was much long than I was expecting but a lot of crap happens. I hate to say it since I don't know how many more chapters are left specifically, but we are approaching the end. Thanks for the support! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.<strong>

**Keep it up, PEACE.**


	33. Chapter 33 : Tick of the Clock

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 33 : Tick of the Clock**

**January 28th, 2183**

**5:18 AM, Citadel Time**

**Somewhere on the Citadel**

**(Bjorn)**

Saliva spilled out of my mouth as I took the next punch. I lost track after fifty hits, my brain was as sore as my face. Not the nose, that broke way before then. My mouth was open but no words emerged and it had been that way since they me tied me up. I smelled the Turian's breath, reminiscent of dog crap. I closed my eyes, thinking of rolling green hills, swing sets, stuff like that.

"What is the code!" Cratz growled at me.

His voice was getting worse, it sounded like it was made from small rocks, not a guy trying to sound like it was. I kept my expression as blank as my eyes. The Turian shook his head and walked away from me to get something.

"Alright! You wanna play like that!" He reached for what he was looking for and turned to me with it. "Let's play!"

I didn't know what it was, some kind of weapon, probably from his own race. However, it did share one thing in common with many other weapons. It was sharp, very sharp.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"Any closer?" I asked, looking over Terran's shoulder at his terminal.

"For the fifth time Lucas. Scanning the area you were in is going to take time and I would tell you when I've got something. So just calm down."

"Here's some advice; don't tell someone to calm down because it doesn't fucking work!"

This made Terran spin his chair to look at me directly. "And how does badgering me help find Bjorn? Who just in case you forgot is my friend too!"

_It doesn't but it sure as hell feels better than just standing here. _I sighed and leaned against the desk with my arms crossed. "Sorry,"

Despite the row, Terran remained sympathetic, as well as more than angered about the results from our break-in at the tower block.

"Is there anything on their name? 'Beyond International'?" I asked.

He shook his head. "There's nothing on it. Either the guy was full of it or it's the most secret group of secret groups."

"The guy turned up with a heavily armed squad and two custom made shuttles. I doubt it's the former."

"It'd certainly be a lot easier if it was."

I nodded. This team was good. the equipment they turned up with was top notch. Some people think that soldiers or cops get the best gear but that's only partially true. The special agents and forces got the good stuff, regular grunts were left with standard gear, AKA crap. Beyond International had to be people that came from these special backgrounds or that beat them. Either case was more than impressive.

We may have been doing well for ourselves but Kat proved we were anything but professional. Maybe it had to do with being young but I didn't want to look at our work the way Cratz's troops did. To be that methodical in a job that has you killing people was cold to say the least. Cracking jokes or not taking everything seriously made it feel like I retained some humanity. When a friend's life is a stake however, it's hard to keep that.

It got me thinking though. We didn't attract attention when we started this group. Well we did but not as ourselves. To the cops we were just a bunch of dummies being like every other dummy out there. However, if a cop were to look into our billing records, locations, etc, he or she would've been able to see we were up to something. Luckily all our buddy's at C-Sec trusted us and did no such thing. Beyond International had to come from somewhere, make deals, go to places, that sort of thing. We would be able to know more about them, all we had to do was start the search.

I left Terran, walked to a corner, activated my Omni-tool and scrolled down my contact list, hitting Call when I got to the name I was looking for. It was five in the morning so I wasn't expecting a friendly voice but being more of an asshole for a day was small price to pay for Bjorn's life.

"Who is this?" a rumbling voice answered.

"Boss, it's Alcatraz, or Lucas, whichever you prefer."

I knew his name was David Powell but that would never sit for me. He was called "The Boss" so that's what I'd call him.

"I didn't give you that number to act as a human - and soon to be dead - alarm, dear boy."

I sighed. "I need your help."

"You pissed off another group?"

"More like a group pissed off us."

There was a pause before he responded. "I'm listening."

* * *

><p>It was six o'clock in the morning and the fake sunlight came to be. The talk went on longer than I expected. Turned out that the boss had done some business with Beyond International, not that he was supposed to know that. Their dealings hadn't last long since The Boss quickly found out that the group wasn't big on humans. Like any boss would tell you, grudges don't make for good business. So as he did with everyone, The Boss did some digging. Officially he did business with Bostra Corp. Unofficially, Bostra was just a front for what the company really was; a small army of trained killers that did what they were best at. Anyone that made a deal with them and didn't come back with everything got the predictable treatment, at least to the The Boss's knowledge.<p>

To say that this was a bit much for us was being kind. The conversation lasted for so long due to the two of us trying to figure out how to beat these guys with our joined forces, and failing in the process. The call ended with us knowing

there was only one choice, one that could leave us both fucked if it went wrong.

And it's the reason why The Boss, Bunch and myself were standing in Executor Pallin's office.

"Never did I think I would have the two of you in this room without cuffs," my former commander said, gesturing to The Boss and I.

"Trust me," I replied. "This is just as weird for us as it is for you."

Pallin gave a long look at his daughter standing nearby. Clearly he still didn't feel good about her being with us, but he knew I would never do anything to harm her, or indeed anyone else on our team. Even if we did it wouldn't work.

"Okay, what do we have on this 'Beyond International'?"

I nodded to Kat who passed a datapad over to her father. Without any question he hit the power switch, displaying a building in Tayseri Ward.

"Beyond International has a cover business known as Bostra Corp," said Kat. "To the public they're known as a successful loan company but in reality they're one of the most highly trained criminal organizations in the galaxy. From the way they handle themselves, I think we're dealing with ex-special forces, maybe even some assassins. Whoever they are, they didn't learn their skills off the streets."

Kat's father looked up, concerned. Though not out of fear from this group, but how we were going to get involved with them.

"This building in Tayseri Ward is their main headquarters. Turns out that Vaellin Cratz also has an office as he's CEO of the company."

"And what do you plan to do exactly?" asked the Executor.

That was when The Boss stepped up. "From what I understand they don't have any human employees but they occasionally do business with them. Lucas and Shea volunteered to go in disguised as corporate executives making a deal with Cratz. They would take out Cratz and unlock the building's security by taking over his terminal. I would have my men on the ground waiting for the doors to open. Hopefully we'd find intel on the greybox and Bjorn's location."

I still felt a tinge of anger hit me anytime Bjorn's name was mentioned. We were out here with our thumbs up our asses while he was possibly being tortured. I was more than tempted to just say fuck it and break in ourselves but I knew that would've been suicide. Predictably, Pallin didn't like our plan.

"Have you all finally gone insane? Aside from this taking place in the middle of Tayseri Ward, you're going to get slaughtered if you go down there."

I leaned on the front of his desk. "That's why we need your help. If you can spare a few of your agents, we can take them down."

"My best are not trained to take on professional killers, Lucas. Plus I can't get the proper clearance without proper evidence."

"Fuck clearance, Pallin! If we don't do anything they're going to have that box unlocked and we'll get fucked anyway."

"You're doing this because of Bjorn, not because of the box."

"Of course I'm fucking doing this for Bjorn!" I slammed my hands on his desk. "Pallin! Kat was in a situation just like this before and you let us go in there with nothing but firearms. Now I have a captured friend along with a box that could result in thousands of deaths, maybe millions if it were to turn into a full scale war. So when you start bitching about skipping a few warrants I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you!"

Pallin remained silent. I rubbed my hands that were red from my force.

"You said the box has to do with secret Alliance intel, should they be involved?"

I shook my head. I had already thought about that. "They'll just slow things down. We've got to keep this under wraps."

"If my agents go in dressed as cops, it won't be under wraps."

"Who said they had to dress as cops?"

* * *

><p>It had taken a long time; two hours to be specific, but we got the plan ready. The fake deal was set up with Cratz, The Boss's men showed up and C-Sec's best arrived at the briefing room, along with a couple of familiar faces. I sat in the row next to Ian, Bailey, Chellick and Garrus.<p>

"I really appreciate this guys,"

"Don't sweat it, mate," replied Ian. "It's about time I returned a favor anyway."

"You sure about this?"

Garrus took over. "Kidnapped friends, evil boxes and a group of trained killers? How could I miss this?"

I chuckled, not surprised at his attitude.

"You always were craving for more action, Vakarian," said Chellick.

"So," said Bailey. "Do you know why they took Bjorn?"

_Oh crap...um. _"No idea."

Bailey just gave me a look that translated as, "Bullshit". I returned with a look that said "Not here", which he accepted.

Normally I would be worried about my identity being discovered but at that moment I didn't care. If I had to sacrifice my alias for Bjorn, that was a small price to pay.

As the rest of the agents took their seats, Pallin and The Boss stood near the holographic screen. The sight was pretty amazing, it's not often a police chief and a mob boss nonchalantly stand next to each other.

Pallin activated the screen, showing our picture of the building.

"Thank you all for coming. Each one of you has been selected because we're in a time of crisis, where only the best is acceptable. From now on, you will remain with your partners and fellow agents at all times. This is a case you can't discuss with anybody, not even family. We can't take the risk of this leaking out and causing a station-wide panic."

"This also applies to anybody working for me," added The Boss.

The Executor went on to give his men the information about Beyond International and the greybox, as well as mentioning "Former Officer Bjorn Vollmer" but leaving out why he had been taken. Trying his best to make it look like a coincidence. Finally he laid out the plan about the agents going in with The Boss's men, dressed as Zion so that it would look like they ordered a hit while Shea and I got the intel from Cratz's computer.

"Now this has to be quick. If it goes on for too long without police involvement people will have questions. We don't know much about this group but they're professionals. You will all have to be at your best. Dismissed."

Everyone left their seat and headed to the appropriate armories to get their gear. I was already missing my customized suit and weapons but had to make due with what was there. Shea and I weren't even going to be able to enter with weapons or body armor as we were going to go with disguises. We would have to get weapons from inside the building with no protection other than shields, if the guards at the building let us keep them.

Shea sat next to me as we got ready. "You still sure about this?"

I gave a humorless laugh. "I never was sure about this to begin with, but it's not like we have another choice. It's Bjorn."

He smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

**Now Playing : The Chromatics - Tick of the Clock**

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><p><strong>Authors Note : Yes I know, no action. Don't worry, that will change. It feels so weird to be writing these last few chapters that have been in my head since the start, but are also turning out quite differently than I expected. Anyway, hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon but I've been reading Divergent which has been eating up my time (It's a very good book) and Far Cry 3 comes out this week, so no set dates for the moment.<strong>

**As always, PEACE.**


	34. Chapter 34 : The Way

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 34 : The Way**

**January 28th, 2183**

**8:21 AM, Citadel Time**

**Somewhere on The Citadel**

**(Bjorn)**

His cuts were messy, but far from ineffective. I was covered from head to toe in scratches, oozing blood. Of course, he couldn't let me bleed to death so his goons applied some Medigel on the bigger cuts. My eyes were heavy from lack of sleep but it gave time to imagine scenarios more pleasant than being tied up by a blood hungry psychopath. My brother spilling cake on me by "accident", playing music, beating Half Life 2 for the hundredth time, stuff like that.

Blood hungry psychopath AKA Cratz sat in front of me, trying to frighten me with his eyes and wrecked face but I didn't care. I was waiting for these guys to figure out I wasn't going to say anything. Except...

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"I knew I was going to have to wear a suit someday," I mused. "Never thought it would be on an undercover operation."

"Just reminds me of how much I don't like wearing these things," said Shea.

We were walking toward Bostra Corp HQ with a suitcase in my right hand. I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the fake beard, part of the disguise. I didn't know who insisted it, so for all I knew it was ordered by Paul so he could laugh at us. I didn't think it looked good on me but it was too late. Generally people don't rip off their facial hair when they step into a corporate building. Thankfully Shea had the same look, at least I didn't have to suffer alone. We were also required to wear contacts, masking our eye color. It was weird to look in the mirror and see brown eyes instead of blue looking back at me.

I walked through the rotating doors, Shea followed. Our cover was we were owners of a successful mining company, with the two of us being brothers on top of that. I didn't know shit about mining but I was confident the us being brothers part would work. Shea didn't look like me but we were both roughly the same height, body type and personalities, it was enough to sometimes have people confuse us as relatives back home.

We walked toward the main desk. I had to give our enemies credit. They knew how to make interiors. The architecture was like something out of Mirror's Edge, all clean and sleek. Sitting behind the front desk was an Asari receptionist who was in far too fine shape to be a desk clerk. Reminding me that all of the people surrounding us could possibly be trained assassins.

"Welcome to Bostra Corp. How may I be of service?" She asked in an almost robotic tone.

I held out the card I was given to get us through, hoping I wouldn't have to say anything. Thankfully she smiled and gave it back to me with a nod.

"Good to have you here Mr. Kenoplyanka. Mr. Cratz will see you upstairs immediately. Just head to the elevator and select floor fifty five."

"Thank you," I said before the two of us stepped inside the metal box and stood still as it ascended. I was curious as to why the building was so tall with only fifty six floors. Most buildings like this on the Citadel contained a lot more floors than that. My answer came when the doors opened and I saw that the ceiling was as high as the first floor. It was something along the lines of ten to fifteen feet tall. With that, we stepped back out and made our way down the main hall.

"Couldn't you guys have picked an easier name?" asked Shea over the comms.

"What?" The Boss asked, deigning innocence.

"Just hope that we don't have to actually say it," I replied. "Is everybody in position?"

"All ground teams are ready, just waiting for the go-ahead."

"Ian, what about you and the sniper teams?"

"We're all good to go, just waiting for the shit to hit the fan," the Brit answered.

"How does that make sense?" I overheard Garrus say before answering another line.

"Kasumi? How's it going?"

"All good, Luc. I'm inside the building but there's too many guards for me to get anything right now."

"Alright, just stay out of sight until security's down."

"Please, remember who you're talking to." She said before closing the line, automatically switching back to the main comm chat.

By then Shea and I were stepping inside the main office. We entered to find a Turian looking out the windows, on a call with somebody. It would've been pretty embarrassing if he spotted the sniper teams but thankfully they were well concealed, at least at that moment. The Turian nodded and made it clear his call ended, turning around to face us, revealing his face.

"Ah, the Kenoplyanka's," said Cratz. "Welcome to Bostra Corp." He gestured with his hands.

I wasn't surprised he acted like a completely different person when he was up here. What did surprise me was how quickly he'd healed; his previously broken arm worked like a dream and his snapped mandible was completely mended.

Keeping my expressions separate from my emotions, I offered my hand. The Turian looked confused at first but then shook it. I had a sudden need to snap his wrist but managed to hold off.

"Excuse me, we don't do business with humans very often."

"No problem," said Shea.

"Please, take a seat," he offered as he sat behind his desk. There were two chairs waiting for us and we complied.

"Is there any reason, why you don't do much business with humans?" I asked, keeping my voice in a strictly neutral tone.

"The humans we've worked with in the past have been a bit...bossy. Uh, no offense."

"None taken, my brother and I are familiar."

He chuckled at that and thus entered the awkward silence, which Cratz decided to break. "Do you have the device?"

I glanced at the case. We were hoping to keep him talking for longer to give people time to set up, but everyone told us they were ready. _Here goes nothing. _I reached for the case and rested it on the desk, turning it around so the latches were facing Cratz. My hands wrapped around the chair's handles, I held my breath as I sat with my blood boiling. I heard the latches click and the case's lid open up. It released the gas spray on his face. The Turian scrambled back but far too slowly. Shea and I jumped out of our chairs and circled around his desk. I took the OSD out of my pocket and attached it to the CEO's terminal.

Meanwhile Shea grabbed the Turian by the neck. "Where's Bjorn?"

Cratz looked like he was about to black out. Thinking fast, Shea jabbed the Turian with his right fist a little harder than he probably should've.

"Where is he!" my friend hissed.

I typed commands on the terminal to activate the OSD's program. "Terran, you in?" I asked as I booted up the software. The alarms blaring throughout the building beat Terran to the answer.

"I'm in. It's going to take me a while to sort through all these files but there has to be something on here."

I nodded and looked back to see Shea preventing his victim from falling unconscious. He took the Turian's head and smacked it against the ground, the bastard yelled out in pain from the visible damage it did to the his fringe.

"I don't know anyone named Bjorn! He didn't tell me anything!" he cried.

I put a hand on Shea's shoulder, urging him to stop. "Who didn't tell you anything?"

"Cratz! He just said that he was going to be busy and I had to hold things over for today, that's all he told me I swear!"

Shea and I looked at each other with the face. "Who the hell are you then if you're not Cratz?" asked Shea.

"My name's Rackie, Rackie Vorn. There was an ad that said someone was looking for a lookalike! Cratz paid me to take his place when he couldn't be here!"

"How much does he pay you?" I asked.

"Five hundred an hour!"

I raised both eyebrows. "And you never questioned where it came from?"

"I wasn't able to find any roles and I was about to get evicted so I applied for the job! I just took the money and kept my mouth shut, that's it!"

As crazy as it was, I believed him. It explained why he didn't look injured in the slightest. Plus I imagined running an organization of killers would take up a lot of time, requiring a second pair of hands to hold down the front. Shea believed him too. He let the Rackie go and applied some Medi-gel to the his injuries. I got on the comm and explained to Pallin what had just happened.

"Makes sense," said the Executor. "And you're sure that there isn't anything that Vorn can give us?"

"No, he's the only innocent one here."

"If that's the case then I'll make sure our agents search for intel in cleared zones. Pallin out."

With that, I held a hand out to help Rackie to his feet, which he accepted. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I can get this fixed in no time." He gestured to the mark on his fringe.

"Which I'll pay for," said Shea. "Sorry about that."

"So what's this all about?"

Before I could answer, two armed guards entered the office, turning to us with fingers on the trigger.

"Get down!"

I yanked Rackie back to the ground behind the desk just before the guards let their machine guns dance. The windows behind us shattered, adding to the sounds of chaos that was completed by Rackie's yelling and shaking.

"Ian! Garrus! I need..."

Two sniper shots were fired in the distance. I felt a _whoosh_ pass over my head before the machine gun fire stopped hitting the desk and added holes to the ceiling before coming to a halt. I peeked around the desk, keeping my breathing pattern in check to see two guards with holes in their heads.

"You were saying?" Ian grinned over the comms.

"Never mind," I replied, getting back on my feet and grabbing both of the guard's weapons from the ground. They were carrying standard M-3 Predators for pistols but also equipped M-76 Revenant machine guns. I picked up one of the massive blocks of death and looked at Shea.

"Think fast!" I threw the weapon and looked away, just in time to hear it clutter to the floor before Shea picked it up.

"You could've just passed it over like a normal person," he said, grabbing a pistol off the floor as I did the same and made sure both firearms were loaded.

I turned back to look at Rackie. "Stay here." I pointed at the desk. "I"ll send a team to come up here and get you."

"I won't get into trouble for this right?" he said, still in a panic.

"I told the Executor that you're innocent in all of this, you'll be free to go."

He sighed and slumped behind the desk which I took as a cue to get out.

"Paul, can you pick us up on the top floor?"

I could hear constant gunfire on the other end of Paul's mic, syncing with the low bass sounds coming from the bottom floor.

"I can in a bit but right now I'm a little busy!"

Paul was assigned to drop off troops and give air support for some of the more cluttered areas of the building.

"All right, we should be able to hold 'em off here until you can get here."

"Roger that."

After discarding our fake beards, the two of us made our way down an empty corridor. Leading to what looked like a cubicle office, with one noticeable absence, workers. We kept our weapons ready as we slowly paced forward. I heard a faint click from above, looked up and saw three guards pulling their weapon's triggers. We dived for cover behind the cubicles but they were about as protective as tracing paper. My shields were going down and neither of us had armor. My eyes scouted the area as we were getting closer to certain death, then I spotted a door with an icon displaying stairs.

I bumped Shea on the shoulder, gesturing to the exit. "Run for it!"

He responded with getting to his feet and sprinting ahead, I trailed behind him as everything around us was torn to pieces. The door started to open when I heard a beep indicating that my shields just died. I slid to my knees and rammed into the stair railings just as the doors shut behind us. I got a perfect view of going to hell in a handcart when I saw the drop over the railing. _I wonder if there's medication for acrophobia._

"Lucas! There's more of them!" Shea yelled, aiming his assault rifle over the edge and firing.

I spotted the guards three floors below us as I snapped out of my trance and placed my back against the railing before they returned fire. Just as I turned back, the previous guards appeared, looking me in the eye. I fired before aiming and forced them into cover.

"Come on!" I said to Shea, moving down the stairs, crouched behind the railing while we fired at the guards chasing us. We were able to get half a floor down and place our backs against the chest-high wall across from our previous position. Shea covered for me while I reloaded and vice versa.

"Paul! We need that shuttle!" called Shea.

"I can pick you up in five minutes."

"We don't have five minutes!" I yelled. The guards above weren't sticking their ugly heads out so I aimed to the lower floors and suppressed the enemies below to a crawl. All I was doing was delaying the inevitable.

"I'll be up there in two then, but that's as fast as it gets! If I back out right now these C-Sec agents are fucked!"

I placed my back against the wall. "Alright, see you soon," I said, ending the call. "We can hold them off." I muttered to Shea. We had been through worse was what I kept telling myself. Shea just nodded and peeked over just in time to see a small round device land a few inches next to us.

"Grenade!"

I jumped to my feet and ran but was quickly lifted off and flown down a flight of stairs, yelling as my back slammed into the wall before my whole body slid to the floor, coughing like a nicotine addict. I looked up and to my horror Shea wasn't there, my head snapped to middle of the space that had the vertical drop of doom.

"Shea!" I yelled, running to the edge as my heart sank. "Shea!" I looked over to see a body climbing over an edge five floors below.

"I'm fine!"

I breathed out a breath I didn't know I was holding and melted into the railing. "Don't fucking do that to me buddy."

"Paul! I'm the fiftieth floor!" said Shea.

"How'd you get there?"

"I'll explain later. Lucas is still on the fifty-fifth. Just get us out of here!"

"I'm almost done! Hang in there!"

I quickly swapped mags and peeked over the railing's edge, only to reel back as three shots grazed past my head. I crouched down the stairs, blind firing my machine gun to slow the hostiles down. When I made it to the fifty-forth floor though, the three tangos from above stood where I had just been. Once again I sprayed my weapon's ammunition back, finally nailing one of the guards to the ground. Just as I trained my sights on the second enemy, a click was all that was emitted from the trigger. I growled and threw the weapon to the ground, running through the floor's door and entered a new room, similar to the cubicles but with far less cover. I pulled out the sidearm and made sure the clip was in place. This was pure desperation.

"Shea, I'm coming up to your floor right now," said Paul.

"I see you, just a second."

There were multiple large windows behind me. I walked over and rested my forehead against the glass. I could see a window shattering below from a few gun shots with a shuttle waiting on the other side. Shea was going to make it for sure. Just when I turned around, I was met by the three bastards from earlier. There was a metal table next to me which I flipped on it's side, my stomach roiled as they rushed me, never letting up their fire. I knew my idea was the single dumbest thing I had ever devised.

"Paul, don't make any movements with the shuttle except for going up!"

"Why would..."

I shot the window, smashing it to bits before I ran and jumped out, free falling off a skyscraper. My legs kept preparing for a three foot landing that never came, my veins were pumping as loudly as my screams. It was so fast but so slow. I was too far away from the building to latch onto anything. I looked down and saw my target, trying to prepare myself despite the impossibility of such a feat.

I crashed onto the shuttle's roof, legs snapping louder than any gunshot. My voice amplified as pain shot through my entire body while it hit the roof. Then as I started to slide, I knew I was about to fall off. My arms flailed everywhere, looking for anything to latch onto, adrenalin masked my pain. My legs were in the air when I stopped. I looked to see my hands hanging onto the side of the shuttle. The door opened, almost causing me slip. Shea stood on the other side. I meant to shout "Help" but it came out as nonsensical as my earlier pleas. Shea grabbed both my arms and pulled me into the shuttle while someone else shut the door behind me. I started to laugh hysterically, realizing what I'd just done. The dopamine rush made me as high as a kite.

"What the fuck was that!" yelled Shea.

My only response was more laughter.

"Did you really jump out the fucking window?" asked Paul, turning around in the cockpit.

"What else would cause that?" replied Kat, pointing to the dent in the ceiling.

I burst out laughing again when I saw the damage, caused by my idiocy.

"What are you laughing about?" asked Phil. "You just jumped out of a fucking building!"

"I know!" I yelled back. My laughter was replaced with the shouting from before when Phil knocked his fist on my right leg. "You fucking asshole!" I yelled.

"Not so hilarious now is it?"

Shea knelt next to me, twisting my foot in alien ways. "You broke your leg?"

"More like both of them!" I growled, closing my eyes with a heavy breath, trying to calm down. After all, it was _only_ my fucking legs. I rested my back against one of the doors, opting to not lie on the floor. I activated my comm channel, anything to distract me from the pain. "Terran? You get the location?"

There was a pause.

"Tell me you got it!"

"Yes, I got it, thanks to some help from someone."

Without Lia there I knew who he was talking about. Good to know Kasumi was still with us.

"They've got a secret base on Bachjert Ward. I'm sending the coordinates to everyone right now."

"You're going to need serious healing at a hospital if you want to get those fixed up," said Phil, gesturing to my legs.

"Fuck that, I can wait, Bjorn and the greybox can't."

"Then let's go!" said Paul. Kicked the shuttle into full gear.

We were almost there. I just hoped that would be enough.

**Now Playing : Zack Hemsey - The Way**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : I had this chapter done for a while but my mother has been busy so...yeah. The good news is that I've already written about 2k words for the next chapter that will be the finale. Probably followed by an epilogue and then the end of this story. I'm excited because I've got non-stop ideas about the re-write of MA1 that will make it so much better than the original. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I really don't like it when people ask for reviews but if this story were to end with 100, that would be pretty awesome. I'm sure that will just run it's own course.<strong> **Anyway a****s always, PEACE.**


	35. Chapter 35 : Requiem

**Authors Note : Here it is, the finale, though technically there is an epilogue after this. Just to make things more "Epic", I would suggest playing "The Way" by Zack Hemsey when the story first switches to Lucas' POV. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch<strong>

**Chapter 35 : Requiem**

**January 28th, 2183**

**9:00 AM, Citadel Time**

**Somewhere on The Citadel**

**(Bjorn)**

Even with my body beaten and broken, my skin cracked and purple, I felt a fuzzy feeling inside that kept me warm. Cratz was falling by the minute. He used everything at his disposal and none of it was working. However, the Turian wasn't a quitter, he gave out threats like a girl scout handed out cookies. The sound of his voice was so constant I learned how to tune it out, focusing on the creak of my chair instead. Until I heard footsteps entering the room. I tilted my chin up to see a familiar face.

"Sir," said Serena, worried. "Zion attacked the main HQ in Tayseri,"

The Turian remained silent, moving his eyes in the direction of the Asari, shortly followed by the turn of his head. "And how has C-Sec not stopped this?" he hissed.

"We looked at the building's surveillance. Two people entered the building before the attack and took down our security. Lucas and Shea from The Wild Bunch."

I refrained form smirking. They weren't leaving me behind! Cratz breathed out with an animal like growl, his face inches from mine with a smile like barbed wire.

"I understand you're probably feeling pretty good about yourself right now," said the Turian. "I'll admit, it's cute. What with all your friends loyalty and shit like that. Just know that after they arrive, your new room will be decorated with their heads on sticks."

He was still trying to get a rise out of me, even when things were starting to go wrong for him. I remained silent, knowing he would kill them regardless of what left my mouth.

"Take him," said Cratz.

I was lifted from my chair by two sets of arms, keeping me upright as I nearly collapsed to the ground. My legs felt like jelly, after the amount time I was stuck in a chair getting beat up that wasn't a surprise. As Cratz left with Serena, the Asari turned around to look at me with the same look she gave Shakiel at the office building. Like she was telling me to hold on but not because she was going to fix everything herself.

It was more like she was hoping for someone to fix everything for her.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

We picked up Terran on the way back from the building and were headed straight for Bjorn. Several C-Sec cruisers followed as they were in search of the greybox. We promised to keep our eye out for it to but that wasn't the primary objective for us. We weren't meant to save the galaxy. Everybody was locked and loaded except Lucas and Terran. The latter was going to stay behind and work his magic and the former was going to stay because he couldn't move. Plus, we could keep his bitching confined to a small space.

"You try being cheerful after breaking both legs from jumping off a fucking building!"

"Alright," said Kat in her "I'm in command" voice.

She relayed everything we knew and what we were going to do. We were to go in as one team with Shea and Kat taking point. Paul would tuck the shuttle away in a safe place, Terran would hack away in peace and we would go in and shoot anything that moved.

Serena was back in my head. Though she wasn't at Bostra Corp. Yet she was with the main team at the office building. So either she fucked off and left or was here. I didn't know what was worse but I did know that I wouldn't be able to shoot her on sight. She betrayed me, yes. She used me, yes. Did she deserve to die? I didn't think so. She was so cryptic when we last spoke, I wanted to talk to her at least one more time and set everything straight. Though, I knew that with what was about to happen, I might never have that chance.

The shuttle gently descended to the ground before coming to a soft landing, followed by a vehicle revealing Chellick, Bailey and Ian. Officially they were searching for the greybox but would also be searching for our friend.

I stepped out of the shuttle first, wincing as a trace of pain ran through my leg that had been shot. I shook it off, content with the slab of Medigel that had been applied and readied by SMG. The others were stepping outside when Bailey and Ian peeked inside our shuttle, looking at Lucas.

"You okay?" asked Ian. "I saw that crazy shit you just pulled."

"Well it could've gone a lot worse," replied Lucas. "Where's Garrus?"

"He's helping coordinate teams, but he'll join us soon," said Bailey. "We're going to find him, Lucas."

"I know, I just hope we were fast enough."

The old investigator was going to have to settle with what he got. "Terran, be sure to watch our backs," said Bailey before walking away.

Terran gave and "Okay" sign and we were off. Bailey headed back to Ian and Chellick as we made our way over. We were in an area of Bachjret that contained many old warehouses, mostly abandoned. How they managed to build an underground base no one knew but this was the Ward to construct it in. Bachjret was far from being Omega but it had the same atmosphere of people not giving a shit.

As said, Kat was on point with Shea still equipped with that massive machine gun he picked up from Bostra Corp. The rest of us followed, searching for any onlookers or guards but it wasn't to be. Made sense, the place would've stuck out if it was being guarded like Fort Knox. They had to have some kind of surveillance though. Kat's decreased speed of movement suggested she felt the same as we approached a horizontal door on the floor.

Suddenly, said door opened at the snap of a finger, echoing a loud grind as it hit the end of its restricted placement. We readied our weapons, fingers set on our triggers when a person popped out of it.

"About time you guys got here," said a familiar voice, full of optimism.

I sighed and lowered my weapon before Josh pushed through us to pull Kasumi into a hug. Reminding me of what I had for only the briefest of moments.

"You know I was only gone for a few hours right?" asked Kasumi playfully when she and Josh pulled away.

"I know, I just missed you."

That was when Kat walked up to the master thief. "Be sure to give us a heads-up next time. What did you find?"

"I found out where they're taking Bjorn."

"So why didn't you get him out of there?" asked Paul.

"Wait," I said before she could answer. "What do you mean by 'taking'?"

Kasumi's face had become noticeably grim. "They've been interrogating him for hours, probably ever since they brought him in. They heard about the attacks on their front company immediately. Serena relayed the message to Cratz and he had the guards take Bjorn somewhere else."

"Serena's here?" I uttered.

Kasumi nodded. "It looks like she's been here the whole time. I saw Cratz trying to make a run for it though. He's got guards everywhere inside."

"How many?" asked Kat.

"Too many to say for sure. A couple dozen would be my best guess. They're all just as well armed as they were at the office building."

"Ian, you there?" asked Josh over his comm.

"What's up?"

"I need your teams to get ready now, Cratz is making an escape, Bjorn's being taken and there's a small army inside."

"We're almost set here and another team found an entrance into the base. We'll be ready."

"Alright, good luck."

"You too mate."

Silence filled the air until Kat took charge once more. "Everyone ready?"

We responded with the click of our weapons. Satisfied, Kat jogged down the steps into the unknown. The hallway was dark, small lights on the walls and floor were the only illumination. Kasumi ran next to the Turian. She knew where she was going, unlike the rest of us. My body was stiff, anticipating someone to pop out and rip us to shreds. Our echoing footsteps could've been heard by scientists on Mars, let alone some asshole merc up ahead. Thankfully the area started to open up.

Then the lights diverged to the left and right. The space we were about to enter was a wide box but it contained crates on all corners. They were placed perfectly chest high and allowed for a quick get away into one of the other corridors. _It's okay, no reason to panic._

A loud crank of machinery startled me. I looked to find a sentry turret in the middle of the ceiling, its laser sight pointing at my forehead.

_Small reason to panic._

"That wasn't there before," whispered Kasumi.

"Open fire!"

Four troops emerged from the corners targeting their machine guns. We aimed our weapons at the hostiles but with little hope. Just as I pulled the trigger at the man in the left corner and vice versa, the turret that was winding up suddenly exploded and crumbled to the floor, distracting our enemies long enough for us to nail each of them. Footsteps came from the right, revealing a tall, lean and purple Asari, Serena. Her appearance delayed my reaction to raise the weapon in my hands by a full second compared to everyone else.

"Wait!" Serena yelled with her hands up.

I couldn't help but move the iron sights away from her, my body's reaction taking charge.

"Why should we?" asked Phil.

"I can take you to Bjorn's location," she pleaded.

"We already know he's being taken," replied Paul.

"But you don't know where they're taking him, I do!"

We remained silent, looking to each other for an answer. Kat suddenly turned back to Serena. "Do anything to hurt one of us and I'll tear your fucking head off, you understand?"

I looked at Kat but didn't say anything, knowing that she wouldn't care what I thought about her threat.

"Yes," said Serena. "Let's go." Gesturing with a tilt of her head.

She was about to head down the center corridor when we heard noises coming from the space the left lead too. The voices suggested a mix of races but mostly Turian. C-Sec teams were finally breaking in. The sounds of gunfire ceased and one of the agents looked down the corridor to see us, first pointing his weapon but then muzzling it.

"Friendlies!" he yelled out.

"Ian, is your team inside?" asked Josh over the comm set.

The response didn't come from the radio, instead Ian emerged from the corridor. "We've got two teams making their way from the other end of this complex. According to the tech guys this area opens up into some kind of station with ships."

"That's where they're taking Bjorn," added Serena.

Ian looked at her suspiciously and turned back to us.

"She's with us, we'll be fine," I said.

Ian seemed dubious but accepted Serena's presence. He turned back to look down the other corridor. "Garrus!"

"Yeah?" the infamous Turian shouted.

"I'm going with these guys. I'll meet you on the other side."

"Be careful out there," he replied before making his way down the path they were on.

We welcomed Ian's contributions and followed Serena while Kat took charge. We were so close to the end I could taste it.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

"Is there a twenty second crash course for hacking?" I asked Terran, holding up my Omni-tool.

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm fucking bored."

"Ah, of course."

"So is that a Yes?"

"No, of course not." He chuckled. "Why do you think I was locked away in my lair for so long last year?"

"I just assumed you found something on the Extranet to distract you." I grinned.

"Ha-ha, you're so clever."

"Thanks, I think so too."

Our brief jabbing ceased as briefly as it came before Terran was back to doing his job. "Guys, you've got six hostiles waiting in this next room," he said over the comms.

"Thanks for the heads-up," replied Kat.

"Kat, saying 'thanks'?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"I know right? Guess it's true that a crisis brings out the best in people."

I nodded but quickly felt a sick feeling in my stomach. This whole thing was a disaster, ever since Serena screwed us over. We've lost things before but a shuttle was replaceable. Expensive but replaceable. Bjorn wasn't. Jokingly that was because he was more alien than most aliens I met but in reality it's simply because he was a friend. I didn't like Serena going with the team to get him, but I knew that if she really wanted them dead she would've done the deed by then.

I looked out the window out of boredom that quickly turned into confusion when I spotted three people coming out of the facility. The face in the middle was as clear as day, carrying a greybox in his hand. Vaellin Cratz.

"Uh, Terran." I said, grabbing his attention.

The hacker moved his eyes to the same sight, becoming as frightened as I. Even more worrisome was the fact that they were heading toward us.

"Grab that shuttle," ordered Cratz.

I looked at the floor beneath the shuttle's seats, seeing the storage where you could rest objects like weapons in. There was also a built-in switch, allowing access to the part of the vehicle containing the Mass Effect core. I pointed my finger at it and looked at Terran.

"Hide."

"What?"

"Do you remember what 'hide' means?"

"What the hell are you going to do?" he said, scrambling for the switch, opening a hidden door to the eezo core.

"Something really stupid...again."

I set my back against the floor and rolled until I was underneath the seats. I could hear Terran's movements from the other side of the metal separating us. Once I was in position I pulled out my pistol, rested it against my leg and waited. I felt like Jack Bauer hiding underneath a parked car, the bottom of the seats were only a few inches from my chest. I focused on keeping my breathing as quiet as possible when I saw the door open and three figures entered the space.

I could only see my enemies from feet to knee as they stepped inside. One of them made their way for the cockpit to start up the engine. I didn't know how eezo cores operated in shuttles but I couldn't take the chance of Terran getting exposed to that shit.

I rolled out and made my move.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

"Come at me bro!" Paul shouted as he tore up another enemy with his pistol before planting his back against cover.

We were making good progress. Terran's intel, Serena's biotics and Kat's uncanny rifle destruction allowed us to tear through most of the groups we encountered, even with all their training. The entrance to the vehicle station was just down the next hallway but our enemies started to pile up. All of us with SMGs couldn't do much at the range we were at, Kat was slowly picking them off but we couldn't afford to be slow.

"Terran!" I shouted over gunfire. "Can you give us an exact count of how many there are near the station?"

I waited and waited but nothing came back.

"Terran's not responding!" I relayed to Kat. "We need to speed this up!"

To my surprise, Serena spoke up. "I can charge and protect the group with a biotic barrier but it's going to wear me out once we're through the exit!"

"Do you know how many are in the station?" asked Kat.

"I don't know! I was never given the specifics of this place!"

Kat thought about it, knowing there was the possibility that we would use Serena's biotics up just to find another small fort of enemies to slow us back down again. The Turian's expression showed it was a risk she was willing to take.

"Do it! Everybody get ready!"

Our group halted our return fire to reload and get set. Everyone was visibly nervous about Serena taking responsibility but I trusted her. She had numerous opportunities to leave us for dead. Granted she still screwed us over but that was something to save for later. Right now there were more important things to worry about, like staying alive long enough to have a later.

"Now!" shouted Serena.

Charging out of cover, she deflected all direct fire toward herself, fighting to keep her biotic barrier strong. We filed in a path behind her, barely protected from incoming rounds but that was enough. Phil and I emptied our weapons magazines, followed by Ian and Shea. Now I could actually do some damage with an SMG, as showcased by the two dead troops riddled with bullets.

Serena collapsed to the ground as Kasumi flanked the last tango between us and the station's entrance. Everyone broke into a sprint while I rushed to Serena's side and helped her to her feet. She looked surprised as I dragged her.

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"You owe me a lot more than that."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

I couldn't help but smirk as I trained my sights on the oblivious guard. I pulled the trigger twice, knowing the shields wouldn't be able to block more than that at my proximity. The other Turian guard in the cockpit was in too much shock to react before I popped three into his face. I knew the third pair of feet belonged to Cratz. He would fire his weapon before I could aim on target, so I reached for his ankles and pulled them.

Caught off guard, the Turian fell to the floor but kicked out his right leg, hitting me in the face. I reeled back enough that more than half of me was over the edge of the shuttle. Without working legs I wasn't able to stable myself. I fell out of the shuttle and landed on my back. I tried to suppress a screech of pain as my two broken legs hit the ground. Cratz appeared on his feet with a weapon but I still had my Predator in hand. I vaguely aimed in his direction and pulled the trigger multiple times. Three bullets hit him in the chest. He fell from the shuttle, dropping his weapon and landing on my legs, causing more pain to shoot through me. The greybox fell from his grasp and landed on the floor.

I was about to take a victorious breath when Cratz looked me in the eye and leaped.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shea)<strong>

"Shakiel, come on!" I yelled, taking cover behind a set of crates as the group taking Bjorn came into view. Unfortunately they were heading for what looked like a small transport ship of their own on the far side of the station, which we had just entered.

"You go ahead! Serena and I will take care of anyone that tries to flank you!"

"If she escapes, the blame's on you!" I reminded him. I wasn't going to vouch for him if the Executor was upset about letting someone part of Cratz's business get away.

"I fucking know that! Go!"

I loaded my assault rifle and sprinted forward, following Paul and the others as Kat and her taller form charged ahead. The group with Bjorn was just outside the ship and we couldn't suppress them with our friend's presence.

"Just keep running!" shouted Kat. "If anything moves shoot it!"

My normal reaction to slide into nearby cover was shoved aside when the reinforcements fired at us. I brought up my weapon, trying to aim as well as I could while sprinting. Kat took a brief stop to aim her rifle, capping two enemies in the head before switching back to sprinting. I took her as an example. Seeing one of the troops pop out I stopped and copied the move as closely as I could. The instant my feet were planted on the floor I lined up my sights and fired, hitting the troop directly.

"Nice!" said Kasumi as she ran past.

I took notice as I got back to running that we were very close to the ship. The group with Bjorn abandoned trying to hold us off and rushed inside. Paul knocked down the last enemy to try and run, leaving at least six troops. We outnumbered them but they were going to be waiting for us. I knew this wasn't going to end perfectly.

One of us was going to get unlucky.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

Cratz lashed out with his talons, slashing my left arm before I landed a blow to his head with my right. Turian skulls weren't as hard as one would guess but it was nothing like hitting a human and the fact I was fighting one bare-handed reinforced that. I felt pain shoot through all of the veins unfortunate enough to be located on my right fist. The hit only staggered the Turian briefly. Soon he was back to lashing out like a mad dog. He reached out and held my throat with both hands. Panic rose in me. I could feel my oxygen supply slowly run dry. _If you're going to kill me, do something faster than chocking! Like a knife or somethin..._ I stopped short as I spotted a holster with a curved edge at the end. I reached for it, feeling a sense of power as my hand wrapped around its beautifully crafted design. Before he could react I aimed the edge just above his hip.

The Turian screamed out and released me as I rammed the weapon into his stomach. I pulled it out to hit him again when he suddenly grabbed it with his left hand, just as It was mere inches away from his chest. I fought to push it forward, but I was losing.

The knife started to twist toward me.

* * *

><p><strong>(Shea)<strong>

The main door into the ship was shut but we knew what was on the other side. I didn't doubt Kat's plan, even if she only took five seconds to come up with it. For her it was as natural as breathing. There was always the danger of death when we started this, hell even when we were back at C-Sec. Death didn't scare me. What scared me was _how_ it might happen, and how the chance of a bullet flying through my head could just as easily happen to the people around me. People who I've known and trusted with my life, literally.

But this was enough waiting around.

"3," started Kat while I closed my eyes and breathed in.

"2,"

Breathed out.

"1,"

_This is it._

"Mark!"

She slammed her fist on the door's switch, rushed in, taking point. I went in after her, next to Josh. I spotted an enemy on my left, aiming his rifle at Kat. I wrapped my finger around the trigger and pulled, the walls splattered with a large coat of blood. I released my index from the trigger in search of a new enemy. My eyes couldn't help but drift to the guard in the center. He had his arm around Bjorn's neck, his gun pointed at my friend's temple.

I couldn't take the shot. There was too great a chance of hitting Bjorn. It all rested on Kat's shoulders. I didn't have time to see her line up her shot. She fired almost the instant I turned to her. She hit him right in the head. Bjorn fell to the ground as he was pulled by the guard, a hole through his brain.

I estimated that twenty shots were fired, nearly all simultaneously. There were eight guards inside the ship, all on the floor. I heard the sound of bone hitting metal coming from behind me. I turned around to see who it was. It was Ian.

Bleeding from his head.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

My teeth gritted. I fought as hard as I could. Every muscle, every thought, every fiber of my being was devoted to my survival. And none of it was working. The knife was moving closer every second. I could hear the virtual clock in my head ticking in sync with the weapon's movements. I growled as it nearly touched my clothing. I thought about how easy it would be to just let go. A knife wasn't as quick as bullet but it was still effective. Pain from the stab, internal bleeding and then away I go. Bye bye shit world. I felt the blade go through my clothing. Closing my eyes as I fought but waited for it finish me.

*BANG*

I reeled back, still trapped to the ground. The weight and blade vanished. I clasped a hand around my stomach, the blade was close enough to leave a small slash. Cratz was next to me with a gash big enough to park a bus in. I turned to see Terran standing in the shuttle, a shotgun in his hands.

His eyes were open wide in shock, coupled with a body that was shaking like a frostbite victim. He snapped out of his trance and rushed over.

"You okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah." He was trying to ignore what had just happened.

He knelt down with the weapon carelessly pointed at my chest. Noticing this, he flung the weapon away like a snake found it's way into his hands. He reached out and applied some Medigel to the slash across my stomach.

"Just another one to add to the collection," I joked, trying to lighten the mood but he didn't laugh.

"Here, come on."

He grabbed me underneath my arms and dragged me back over to the shuttle, away from the mess caused by the now long-gone Cratz. I lifted myself up into the shuttle, dragging over my broken legs that were numb beyond belief. The two dead Turians were still inside, this surpassed Terran as he shut the door. I kept my eye on him as he collapsed into his seat, nearly hitting his head against the wall and breathing heavily.

C-Sec officers worked their way up, starting with metal targets, then simulations, concussion round matches and maybe shooting a real living being. As far as I knew, Terran hadn't shot anything with a gun. Let alone with a loaded shotgun that removed part of someone's body. I said nothing, knowing words wouldn't help. My eyes drifted to the floor, staring at the greybox that fell from Cratz. I picked it up and held it in my hands. I should've felt happy, relieved, but this wasn't what I was after. Suddenly Terran looked up out the shuttles window. I peeked around to see groups of C-Sec officers coming out of the makeshift factory.

The first group to emerge were escorting Serena in handcuffs toward a nearby shuttle. Two groups of officers carried troops on stretchers, both heading toward two different shuttles. I caught brief glimpses of the people they were transporting. My veins felt numb as I saw both a wounded Ian and Bjorn beaten beyond recognition.

Terran stood and opened the door, creating space for The Bunch's return. Paul yelled at the group carrying Bjorn, relaying something to their shuttle pilot. Kat and the others ran forward when they spotted the dead Turian in front of our shuttle, as well as the two corpses inside the vehicle.

"What happened?" I asked, failing to restrain my anxiety.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Kat as she gestured to Cratz on the floor.

"He was trying to get away with our shuttle. I took the two down with my pistol."

"Who killed Cratz then?"

Terran stood in front of her. "I did."

Kat's face revealed a flash of concern, quickly masking it with her trademark determination. "You did good, Terran. Not many people could've done what you did."

Our friend just nodded and returned to the shuttle. Kat stepped inside and knelt next to me. I lifted up my hand. "I think they'll want this."

She took it from my hands, staring at the device before activating her communicator. "Father, we've retrieved the greybox and Bjorn is alive and safe, mission accomplished."

There was a pause before the Executors voice came through. "Copy that, Katrina. Head back to the academy ASAP. Great work."

"Be advised we have one agent down in critical condition. Ian Shaw is on a separate shuttle and needs immediate medical attention."

"Copy that, Pallin out."

I was alive, Bjorn was alive. The greybox was safe, we were safe. Terran survived his first kill, Cratz failed his last. We had done it. The price was worth it.

But I was still terrified of how high that price might be.

**Now Playing : Neil Davidge (Halo 4 OST) - Requiem**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : This story is not quite over so I'll make the long AN then. Until that time, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, PEACE.<strong>


	36. Chapter 36 : escApe

**Mass Affect 2 : The Wild Bunch**

**Chapter 36 : escApe**

**January 28th 2183**

**4:12 PM, Citadel Time**

**C-Sec Academy, Medical Centre**

**(Lucas)**

I was hating it. While thankful for the opportunity to rest, I couldn't get an ounce of sleep. Ian, Bjorn and myself - as well as the other injured officers - were taken to the medical station at C-Sec. I got pissed off every time an employee came to see me. They could've been helping the one who was beaten for hours or the one with a fucking hole in his skull. But no, instead they come to see the person with two broken legs as if I didn't know jumping out of a building would cause physical pain. I wasn't the one in agony though. The one in a true state of hell was Rebecca. I saw her when they were bringing the three of us in. She was instantly at Ian's side, in shock as she tried to help stabilize him on the cart.

"Ian!" she kept yelling. "Don't you die on me!"_  
><em>

A different member of the medical staff - an older looking Salarian – ran over to check the injury and scan Ian's body with his Omni-tool.

"Simmons," the Salarian calmly said to Rebecca. "We're going to need space."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm not going to do my job!"

"We've got this Simmons! Let us save his life!"

On the verge of tears, Rebecca knew what she had to do. Slowing her pace, she let the Salarian take Ian away. Then she helped Bjorn and I to our rooms and left us with the examiners. She eventually returned and I couldn't help but notice her red eyes.

The rest of the bunch showed up to check on Bjorn. We made small talk but it was hard to ignore the one silent person in the room. Bjorn was still asleep, exhausted and in pain. The guys left. While I was happy Bjorn was going to be okay, I still worried about the aftereffect. Bjorn always kept things to himself, that was just his nature, but this wasn't something a person could just shrug off.

This group of friends was all I had left, same for everyone else except for maybe Kat. The stupidity of going out and risking our lives on a constant basis when we had so much to lose was really starting to get to me. Maybe we should've quit while we still could, sit back and let the universe run its course. Hell, Shepard would probably just save it anyway, so what was the fucking point?

"That's for you to figure out."

Last time I heard that voice my head snapped. Not so on this occasion, I just closed my eyes and knew what was coming. When I opened them, everything stopped. It was hard to describe but there was no movement of any kind, except for myself and the being only known to me as the Mystery Man. He was wearing a suit, his hands resting behind his back. It had been a year since I last saw him and the feeling of pure hatred was returning. This time however it was coupled with a feeling of helplessness. The last time I met him I was powerless and I knew it would be the same deal now.

"I thought you said you didn't give a shit about about me."

He shook his head and stepped inside, resting his hands by his sides. "I never said anything of the sort. Unlike you, I'm able to keep my use of speech family friendly."

"Cause you're so ethical?" I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled, resting against my hospital bed. "I just like to maintain a level of respect."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You should really get into comedy."

"I'm sure there's a universe where I have." He shrugged.

I sighed, already tired of the exchange. "Why are you here? You only see my friends and I as subjects so why bother coming?"

"Oh, you probably won't see me again after this. But I like to see my subjects at least twice. Just to see what can't be reported by spreadsheets or statistics. I do think you've gotten better though. This time you haven't tried to kill me."

"I'm stuck on a bed smart guy."

He nodded with a patronizing look. "Well, I've got projects to lead so I will have to be off." He leaned off. "Just be rest assured, what ever happens next is not by accident. It's all part of the plan."

This time my head snapped. "What?"

He started to walk away.

"Wait!"

He stopped just short of the door.

"What plan?"

The only response I got was a smirk that quickly vanished with the man. Next thing I knew the universe seemed to be back in motion, smells changing, a soft breeze from the heaters, little things no one notices until they're gone.

"That guy's a jerk." I whipped around to see Bjorn wide awake. He noticed the confusion on my face. "He talked to me as well."

"How did you even..." I stopped, remembering that this was Bjorn after all. "You were awake weren't you?"

"Kind of."

I snorted. "Of course." The nurses had given him pain medication but he looked like shit. "You didn't tell Cratz anything did you?"

"Nope. Just chuck testa."

I chuckled but stopped when I noticed Bjorn's face was static. "You actually told him that?"

"Yep."

"...did he try it?"

"Yeah."

I snickered and broke into laughter, as did he.

"You should've seen his face when I told him. It was like he couldn't decide whether he was excited or just thinking 'What the fuck?'."

I looked up at the ceiling and let the laugh die down. Bjorn was still himself but I closed my eyes after a thought. "What did he do after he found out you were bullshitting him?"

Bjorn paused. "He started punching me with his bare fists, then knocked me out with one of the guard's weapons."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Look, if you want out of this I won't stop you. We've got plenty of credits. You could take a share and stay in your apartment."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Uh, maybe because you just got the shit kicked out of you by a blood hungry psychopath."

"You didn't leave after the X-mas killer took you."

"That was different."

"How, exactly?"

"Jennifer Lake, aka the X-mas Killer, didn't tie me up and torture me for ten hours straight. I know you like to downplay things but there is no way you're just going to laugh this off like it's nothing."

"I'm fine."

I didn't like this at all but I wasn't Bjorn's boss. Nobody was the boss of anybody when it came to our team. The past wouldn't leave any of us unscathed.

The door opened revealing Shea, Josh, Paul, Terran, Lia and Rebecca, who seemed to be in a much improved state. They noticed Bjorn's eyes were open.

"Hey, look who's finally awake," said Paul. "The Viking and the douchebag."

"Fuck you." I replied.

"Still putting the Surrey alphabet to use I see."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Rebecca was standing near by. "There's only one reason you'd be brightened up," I said to her.

"Ian made it out of surgery. The doctors told me that he made it by a hair and it's going to take months for him to recover."

I was told that I'd be on my feet within a week due to the medical advances made in the last hundred and seventy years. For Ian to be on sick leave for months told me how close he came to not making it.

"When can I see him?"

"I just saw him. Garrus is there too but I think the staff want to keep visitors to a minimum. He's in bad shape." Her tone was filled with worry, sadness but also hope. Rebecca then pulled something out of her pocket. The device folded out to reveal a datapad. "He told me to give this to you."

She handed it to me and I held it in my hand. It read.

_As I'm sure you've been told by Rebecca, I'll be stuck here for sometime. I'll be on my feet soon but bureaucratic bullshit states that I must remain off duty until late April or May. Followed by a psych eval. If I'm honest, if our roles were reversed, I'd want Garrus to rest until fully recovered too. So I'll just keep my mouth shut. It's 2183 now; we both know what that means. I want to come along but there's the chance that Shepard will come before then. If that's the case, just do one favour for me. _

_Make Saren pay. _

_Shaw, Ian._

* * *

><p><strong>(Shakiel)<strong>

There was no sad piano music or echoing footsteps. I walked past the jail cells, seeing every type of being, from despicable to innocent. The person I came to see was neither. Serena was sitting in the corner of her cell by herself. She stared at the wall, using it as a projector for the mind.

The guard escorting me entered the combination for the cell's shield door to lower, allowing me access. The guard still felt a little too close for comfort though. This wasn't going to be a small exchange.

"Can you give us some space?" The guard looked at me funny. "Look, there's only one path. It's not like she stands any chance of getting out." Not that she would even try.

The guard sighed and moved out of sight, probably waiting just down the hall. I turned around and stepped inside to see Serena waiting, eyes locked on me. She remained silent, like she knew what was coming.

"We need to talk."

She nodded and made herself more comfortable. "Okay. Where do we start?"

I didn't know where to start, opting for what first came to mind. "You said that Cratz was after you. Why?"

"It's rather simple really," she said with a humorless smile. "I needed credits and found out about him. He gave me what I needed but I never returned the favour. That day we were attacked and I had to get you out? That was the day they had enough. I tried to get away but they were relentless." She shook her head, disappointed.

"So how did you end up working for them?"

She shuddered. "They told me that they would find you and kill you if I didn't work for them and make up for the debt. I thought they were just trying to scare me until they revealed pictures of you on the Citadel."

I felt a feeling of sickness in my stomach. Cratz used me to get her without me even knowing it.

"Shakiel," said Serena as she stood and walked toward me. She seemed nervous, unsure but driven at the same time. "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"I don't need to _tell_ you everything."

Figuring out what she was going to do I complied and gently blocked my vision. I waited until everything felt different then slowly opened my eyes to see Serena in front of me, her eyes open though we weren't in the jail cell anymore. It was an endless black void. Serena looked to her right. I turned to see a small circle of light growing by the moment. I stared until she grabbed my hand. Her face inches from mine, she stepped close, our clothes making contact. The light continued to grow when we closed our eyes and our lips met. I felt my mind hit as if by a sledgehammer. I was overwhelmed with Serena's recent memories; fleeing Cratz in the dirty streets of Omega, being forced under his wing, him giving the order to get rid of The Plague, to use me and my friends to stop them and have Serena take the greybox. Cratz knew about our identities, that we would stop anybody that the cops couldn't touch. The Plague fit our targeting perfectly and he knew it.

I felt every bit of Serena's pain, guilt and brief joy. The longest memory she gave me was what I remembered most, the night before she left. Our night. Then the memories suddenly faded away and we were back in the jail cell, still cuddling. I couldn't move when the final memory revealed something she had kept to herself. She loved me.

"You wanted that night to ourselves." I said, coming to realization.

"I knew that even if I saw you again things wouldn't be the same. That last night was all I had."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"The same reason you didn't tell me."

Fear. I reluctantly pulled back. I only had five official minutes. We stood awkwardly trying to think of what to say.

"How long is it going to be?" I asked, not caring that I could've found the information online.

"I have a lawyer, he's on his way right now. I'm going to get off easy but, I'll be stuck here for at least a couple of years. At best."

I nodded. Two to four years was nothing by Asari standards but I felt horrible. If I had just admitted what I felt earlier we could've escaped and dealt with this together, but going down the black hole of 'What if's' was a waste of time and I knew it. The guard was making his way down the hallway to drag me out. I looked at Serena one more time.

"Stay safe."

"You too."

I turned away and walked past the guard. I entered the elevator and slumped my back against the wall, exhaling a deep breath. After all that happened I couldn't bring myself to hate Serena, not even slightly. I wished we'd met under different circumstances. I wished one of us could've admitted our feelings. I wished a lot of things.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas)<strong>

It felt like the longest week of my life. Do you know how much it sucks not being able to walk? No? Well, it really sucks! Thankfully, the stack of movies, games and books I hadn't finished became useful, allowing me to kick back and relax like the old days. Everything, including myself had changed so much in the last two years. As much as I hated the Mystery Man he did reveal that the universe is not our friend or enemy, that the world doesn't revolve around us.

The sad truth is when bad things happen, life goes on, whether you're ready or not. We were different but I didn't see that as a curse. It was a new kind of freedom, free to be who I wanted to be. It just so happens that being who I wanted to be resulted in having to take unwanted shore leave sometimes.

Not even two months had passed before I was up and about, running along the string of rooftops near our apartments, the paths perfectly complementing each other as if constructed by a master class designer. The lack of long jumps with endless drops was also a plus.

"Come on fat ass!" shouted Josh up ahead, trying to keep up with Kasumi.

"You're not the one carrying four fucking weapons!" I replied, hauling myself up an eight foot wall.

"And who's fault is that!"

My breathing was becoming more ragged, my forehead layered in sweat. In the distance I could see Paul's brand new and much loved shuttle.

Pallin had let us off the hook instead of throwing us in prison. Despite this being lucky as it was Paul decided to take his chances and lo and behold the vehicle that was waiting. C-Sec shuttles were far from top of the line but it didn't cost us anything, leaving credits to spend on twin machine guns, retractable armour and a new detection system that tracked objects in the trajectory of the vehicle. The last thing we needed was a repeat of what happened at the stadium.

I gave up holding my place and let Bjorn run ahead. I made my way up the final ramp leading to the shuttle, Kasumi slowing, hardly out of breath and Josh just behind her. I slowed my pace to a walk to see Kat sitting on top of the shuttle reading her datapad, relaxed, her legs crossed. Kat too was in on our run across the rooftops but being a Turian and a former military scout, it was a bit like go karts racing against a Blackbird.

"You know," said Phil. I turned around to see him, Shea and Shakiel making their way up. "You could at least try not to look so smug when you beat us."

Kat shamelessly grinned, the scariest grin I had ever seen but at least she was freeing herself from the hard ass bitch routine. She still spoke like she was on a military mission but it was a start.

Terran and Lia were sitting on the shuttle's side with the door hanging over them. Terran seemed to have something on his mind. Whatever it was, I'm sure Lia was helping him out with it. Not knowing when the fire was going to start, I asked about her pilgrimage, how we had the money for her to buy something and she could head back to the Flotilla where it would be safe. But she didn't budge. She wouldn't leave us or Terran unless it was no longer an option.

Paul emerged from the shuttle to drop a big box on the ground. The lid opened to reveal ice cold water. I practically dived for the first bottle and folded my visor away, chugging until my throat finally felt like it wasn't made of brick.

"You're welcome, asshole," said Paul.

"Says the guy who didn't even bother to run with us."

"Why would I need to run when I've got this fucking thing?" said Paul, gesturing to the shuttle.

"He does have a point," added Shea before grabbing a bottle.

"Will you ever shut up about that 'fucking thing'?" asked Phil.

"No," Paul replied.

"Alright, just checking. Bjorn, thoughts?" All eyes locked onto the Viking as Phil finished. Bjorn's trademark silence always lightened the mood. "Okay, thanks." Phil finished.

"Where did you even get that?" asked Shakiel.

Phil chuckled. "Nowhere. I just asked him that about a hundred times on the way to PAX."

"Guys," said Kat, suddenly dropping from the top of the shuttle. Everyone gathered around and she revealed the datapad's contents. It was an article, coupled with a playback video. The headline was simple.

_**Geth Attack on Eden Prime Shocks the Galaxy**_

As the saying goes, let the games begin.

* * *

><p>I didn't know what time it was and I was too lazy to find out. My story was almost done and I'd be able to check when I was finished. Anderson kept his expression neutral as always. I sighed as I completed the last sentence. He remained silent and urged me to continue.<p>

"That's it," I said. "I'm sure you've already heard the rest from Shepard."

Anderson leaned forward slightly. "I still don't know how you learned everything. C-Sec investigation wasn't able to get anything on Saren."

"That's why we're not with C-Sec."

Calm or not, I was getting freaked out by Anderson. He was still suspicious of how we got the info, not knowing that we all knew of this stuff years beforehand. There was no real reason to worry though, the Council and Anderson couldn't do anything because I had given my word. I told them everything about us and our little cabals, leaving just one question.

"Can I go now?"

"You're free to go. You'll find your team waiting at the front door. We've arranged a shuttle that will take you to your Commander's ship."

"Thank you, Sir." I said, making my way to the door.

"Alcatraz."

I stopped to turn around.

"You might want to put that back on." He gestured to the helmet in my hand. I had forgotten I didn't have it on for the past few hours.

"Right, thanks," I said, hurriedly utilizing my cover. I stepped out into the corridors, remembering the way they took me inside here and followed the path. I found the rest of the team outside the front doors. The Alliance had questioned all of us.

"Well look who finally made it," said Paul.

"It's not my fault they asked a million questions."

"Oh I'm sure it is somehow."

"Whatever, let's just get out of here."

We stepped toward the front door, the bottom stairs covered in packs of camera crews from every news company on the station. News reporters bolted in front of us. I shook my head as I continued forward, gluing my mouth shut. The vehicle Anderson mentioned was waiting for us, the pilot opening the door to let us inside. The crews kept lobbing questions. I never understood how they expected answers. When the last of our group stepped inside, Lia closed the door and the pilot in front of us settled in. We felt the vehicle lift off and take us to the "Commander's Ship".

It didn't take long. Within a few minutes we had flown to one of the station's restricted space docks. The vehicle settled down in perfect view of a ship in front of us, The Normandy. Eventually, I had gotten used to the Citadel but seeing the ship was like seeing a real life aircraft carrier back when I was in San Diego. The screen never communicated the size of either ship. The Normandy was huge and it was only a frigate. To think about the size of a Dreadnought was mind boggling. I realized only then that my feet had taken me to the ship's entrance. The front doors opened to reveal the person I had known fictionally for years but have known in reality for only a few moments. Standing in standard Alliance gear but managing to look imposing with her red hair and green eyes was Commander Shepard.

"I see Anderson let you through. About time. I don't like being a sitting duck while Saren is out there."

"Neither do we Shepard," I replied.

"Then let's get going. Welcome aboard."

**Now Playing : Voicians - escApe**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note : Oh my GOD! It's fucking over! I really had no idea that this thing was going to take eight months to finish. Then again, I didn't expect it to be almost twice as long as Mass Affect. I also didn't expect to get 96 reviews (at the time of writing), you guys are awesome! Except for the person that wrote a troll review I deleted a while back, you suck. If you didn't review any chapters, don't worry you're still awesome. I'm pretty amazed that nearly fifty people added this thing to their alert list.<strong>

**Now, onto what's next. Pretty much since I got halfway through this story, I began to regret some of the things I did back with the first MA. Now it's gotten to the point where I get constant ideas for a rewrite, so that's what I'm going to do. I worked out that it shouldn't take as long to get out as this one though, because I'll try to keep the rewrite around the same length of MA1 or at the very least not past 100k words. The first MA was really the first piece of fiction I did, just coming off of being a game reviewer. I don't like to think of myself for fear of coming across as a selfish douchebag, but I like to think that I've become a much better writer since last October. I notice myself looking at stories in all forms of media much differently than I used to.**

**The thing is though, I don't want the inconsistent updates that this story suffered from. So what I think I'll do is write enough chapters till I'm confident that I can manage writing chapters while getting ones I've already finished out once a week. This does mean that you're probably not going to get updates from my page for a bit, but I'll still be active on the site. I'm always reading what other people are posting on the site. That brings me onto So You're In a Self Insert 3.**

**I had no idea where to go with it after chapter seven and by the time I said fuck it and just tried to come up with the finale, it had been a month. I said to myself that I'll finish it when I'm finished with my own story. So that's what I want to do. Key word being "Want". I'll try my best to get the last chapter for that finished.**

**Oh also, I'm aware of the amount of SI's with Femshep. First things first, it's not because I'm a fanboy. The fact that only one out of my three Sheps is Female kind of proves this. It's mostly because there's already enough male characters here. I've had many plans in my head for MA3 for quite some time and it having Femshep was one of them. Plus I also already know the ending, no I'm not spoiling it.**

**One final thing, I've posted two things on my barely used Deviant Art page. First, I've posted two full covers that I made out of boredom. One is a full sized version of the cover you see here and the other is what the cover will be for Mass Affect : Revised Edition (Oh also, tell me what to use. Revised or Revised Edition. I can't really decide). And unless somebody makes a better one, I'll be sticking with it. Second, I'll also be posting the soundtrack for this story with the cover on DA. If you have any other questions or just want to chat, send me a PM here.**

**I think that about covers it. I don't like long goodbyes so all I'll say is thank you so much for sticking with this story and keep up the awesomeness, PEACE.**


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